Reluctant Remembrances Redux
by EvilAsch
Summary: John 'accidentally' runs into a familiar face in a Parisian bar. Edited/rewritten for sanity and to adhere to the original plot outline
1. Chance Meeting

**A/NThis is an updated/edited version of the original that's like, sane, well more so anyway... basically it doesn't veer into la la land later on :)  
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"Druitt, you bastard." The words didn't hold any real venom, which surprised John Druitt greatly.

"Miss me Ben?" John smirked his dark eyes glittered in the dim bar lighting.

"No." Ben replied smoothly.

"Ahh, I _am _wounded." John sneered his voice the familiar rumble, almost purr, he remembered. He watched John gesture at the bartender.

"He'll have whiskey, neat, best you've got." Ben ordered before John could speak.

The bartender glanced at John, who then nodded minutely in acknowledgment. Ben smiled neutrally at his one-time companion and raised his beer to him.

"What brings you here?" Ben muttered tightly.

"Work." John chuckled.

Ben let out a bark of laughter and shook his head.

"Work? Right. Sure." Ben's voice was taught, sharp, like razor wire stretched to the point of breaking.

"And you?" John murmured languidly.

"I live here, for now at least."

John accepted the drink and downed it without tasting it. He leaned forward and whispered in Ben's ear.

"Come now _Methos _let's not get off on the wrong foot, _again_." John murmured.

'Ben' flinched and flexed his jaw.

"Learn a lot if you know where to sniff." John said cheerfully as he leaned away and gestured at the bartender for a second round.

Methos stared at his beer, face blank for a few seconds. "Y'know I quite liked you, until your friend started sniffing around about the Ripper business and I did a little deduction of my own." He hissed spitefully at John.

"Oh that is rich. Are you going to call _me_ a killer?" John chuckled sourly turning slightly towards the immortal man. Methos glanced up at John, and for the first time, John saw the other man's real age reflected back at him. In spite of himself John felt a shiver crawl along his spine. Not fear or dread, but rather anticipation.

"I've done what I've done, there's no man or woman alive with rights to judge me." Methos said very softly his accent slid from it's usual vaguely upper class vaguely British lilt to a darker richer growl.

"That's not what I hear." John laughed richly. His eyes drifted over Methos, taking stock.

"How's your head? Still getting headaches?" Methos asked venomously, taking the offensive. John smiled, revealing his teeth and inclined his head in acquiescence. Methos had scored a point.

"I had a... chat with an old friend. Haven't felt this well in years." John admitted as he leaned into Methos' personal space. The heat from John's body warming Methos' pallid skin.

Methos stared hard at John. In the heady days of Victorian indulgence there may've been something between the men. Methos briefly thought of the poet Byron and the sordid activities surrounding their friendship. But time moved on and people changed, even him. He stood up and counted several bills from a wad in his pocket. He tossed them onto the bar and turned to leave.

"Don't be a stranger Ben." John called after him his voice it's customary growl. Methos ignored the parting shot and left the bar. The Parisian night spread before him endless opportunities awaiting, but he felt no interest. He resented John's intrusion. He'd been thinking of leaving Paris anyway, itchy feet, a healthy habit in an immortal. He couldn't really run from John, not for long. But, it was his privilege to meet his old friend on his own terms. The game had begun, the old dance. He would go to London.

John enjoyed his second drink savoring it's age and flavor. His phone rang.

"Yes Helen, he was here."

"London I should guess. No I'm having a rather fine drink...the bartender understands English and I am disinclined to leave."

"Very well." He hung up with a thin smile. Magnus' orders must be obeyed, he thought, but he had time...

* * *

><p>Methos did not feel him coming, but then, he wouldn't. John may be very old and insane but he was not an immortal and therefore beyond Methos' abilities. Methos did smell John a split second before John struck.<p>

John snaked an arm out to throttle Methos. Methos' – resenting such rough treatment- dodged the arm and lashed out at John's solar plexus. John – being John- teleported a few inches beyond Methos' reach and stood staring at him with a playful smirk.

"Oh you are annoying." Methos glared while the vaguest of smiles twitched his lips.

"Let's stop playing games shall we Ben?" The name and John's tone brought a flash of memory from nearly two hundred years past flaring to life before Methos' inner eye. A caress, a laugh, a need. Methos shivered and faced John, slowly he relaxed out of his fighting stance.

"Why are you here?" He asked, tone resigned but eyes calculating.

"Honestly? I was sent to find you." John admitted, he enjoyed watching Methos' think.

"Oh gods, is it Helen?" Methos half groaned half asked. Only Magnus could tame John, mad or no, and only Magnus could have any interest in Methos. Methos had no business with the Watchers, hadn't in at least a decade. The few immortals who knew him, by pseudonym or his actual name, had no interest in him at the moment. Which left dear Helen Magnus, ringleader _(lover)_ and meddler.

"Of course it's Helen, now, you can pack a bag and I can take us both, or you can pout and catch a flight.

"Go back to the bar. I'll be back in an hour." Methos sighed.

True to his word Methos arrived just under an hour later. John glanced at him but had the grace to hide his pleasure at so thoroughly invading the other man's world. Methos stood at the doorway until John strode toward him. He gripped Methos' arm at the elbow and as they left the bar he embraced the Methos almost tenderly. They vanished from sight, a brief ripple of almost liquid air hung in the dull light from the streetlamps, and then it too faded.


	2. Now We Come to It

Methos woke to full darkness his mouth felt and tasted like an open sewer, he vaguely recalled John teleporting him from Paris, teleportation wreaked havoc on him. It was like being seasick times a hundred, an image of an ornate carpet rushing up to him as his knees buckled flickered to him. He groaned, wherever they were it was very far indeed from Paris, only cross continental or cross oceanic trips left him vomiting and passing out.

He cleaned up – including a thorough teeth brushing- and dressed in fresh clothes. A young man, hardly more than a boy, was sitting in the hallway. His height was hard to judge as he was sitting cross legged and had fallen asleep slumped in a heap. Methos smirked and tapped the boy's outstretched foot with his own.

The boy sat up abruptly and glanced around. Gaze settling on Methos he smiled broadly and got to his feet with the help of Methos' outstretched hand. The boy had a solid grip, calloused but strong hands, and dry palms.

"You must be Ben Johnson. Dr. Magnus asked me to wait for you." He said with a cheerful grin.

"Who are you?" Methos asked.

"Will Zimmerman I work with Dr. Magnus." Methos nodded studying the boy – no _man_, he looked young but there was a shadow in his eyes, he had seen too much to be called a boy.

"I see, where is Helen?"

"I'll take you to her, would you like any refreshment?"

"Thank you but no, I'm fine." Methos said with a warm smile. Will returned the grin. Methos found himself warming to him. He had the look of an academic but his calloused hands hinted at a more physical lifestyle. Methos really wasn't hungry, in spite of his ordeal. He felt pleasantly empty, light, quick on his feet. He wanted to keep that feeling, keep that edge while he was in the home of his ... friends? Enemies? Employers? What _were_ they to him?

"How'd you end up here Will?" Methos asked as Will led him further into the building.

"I used to work as a forensic psychologist with the police. I ran into some trouble with the brass and Dr. Magnus offered me a job. I was unhappy and looking at getting fired anyway so I figured why not. We've got a lot to see if you're up for it. " Will offered. Methos nodded and followed his tour guide.

Will showed Methos everything he was cleared to see and Methos naturally assumed there were more features and such that security forbade his knowledge of. He didn't mind, the less he knew the better, for all concerned.

"You're not surprised Abnormals exist?" Will asked after concluding the tour.

"No, not especially, the number and variety are impressive but their existence isn't." Methos said with a small smile. They were settled into a comfortable sitting room waiting for John and Helen. Methos was beginning to suspect that young Will was feeling him out, preparing him or vetting him for something.

"Were you surprised?" Methos asked Will. Methos was sprawled on a couch Will sitting across from him, a low table between them. The decor was not at odds with the architecture although it was decided more modern.

"Very, although I shouldn't have been. My mother was murdered by an abnormal when I was a boy."

"I'm sorry to hear that Will." Methos sighed. No wonder the boy had such a way of seeing the reality of a person. Growing up alone, suspicious of everyone and with no real safety. He had managed to turn a survival skill into a purpose and an uncanny talent.

"It was a long time ago." Will said all but literally shrugging off the sentiment.

"Doesn't mean it hurts less. Have you found the perpetrator?" Methos continued.

"No. I mean maybe, but the memory is so garbled..." Will trailed off.

"I see." Methos said. He heard steps in the hall outside. Too light to be John's but likely too heavy for Helen.

_She moved like a dancer, graceful and gentle. She ran a hand along his jaw and across his chest before kneeling at his side. The fire behind him popped and hissed as it settled. She leaned into him, her hand reaching behind and beyond him to lay more wood on the coals. Her lips inches from his own. Ben leaned down and kissed her, a chaste brotherly kiss at first until her lips parted under his and her free hand settled on his chest._

_"Helen what about John-" Ben asked breaking the kiss with a laugh._

_"What about me?" John asked with a smirk. He was still sprawled on the bed, naked now, the sheet he'd worn now wrapped around Helen as she knelt in Methos' arms._

"...heals all wounds."

"Sorry Will I didn't catch that." Methos said smiling to himself at the warm memory.

"They say time heals all wounds." Will repeated.

"A dangerous misconception Mr. Zimmerman. Time can allow wounds to fester as easily as heal them." Methos warned. As he finished speaking another man entered the room, slightly scruffy in appearance, dressed very casually and almost shy in demeanor.

"Henry it's good to see you." Will said warmly. The man grinned.

"I've been helping Magnus calibrate some of the new gear." Henry said and darted a glance at Methos. Methos stood smoothly, his feline grace inadvertently hinting at his strength. The newcomer seemed to shrink slightly, making himself less noticeable.

"I'm Ben Johnson, call me Ben." Methos said, surprised as the dusty name, the old wounded identity of Ben leapt to his lips.

"Oh you're the uh the guy who can't deal with teleporting right? Can't blame you." Henry said with a stammering laugh, he offered his hand to Methos. Methos shook it firmly. The man's grip was strong but skittish, strange, a feral scent lingered around the man. It was subtle and mingled with the sharp clean scent of bar soap.

"Henry is our resident technical genius." Will explained. Methos smiled.

"Every secret lair needs a technical genius, it's in the script." Methos said solemnly, he grinned at Henry and the other man's nervousness faded a hair.

"Dr Magnus mentioned that you were old friends. She implied that you might be older than you seemed." Zimmerman ventured.

"I appreciate your honest curiosity Mr. Zimmerman but I don't think my age is relevant at the moment." Methos said gently. He was annoyed that Zimmerman was stripping away so many of his defenses. This place, the décor, and the memories given new life, were making Ben Johnson more alive than Methos _or_ Adam Pierson. He didn't want Ben Johnson to come back to life, he didn't want to deal with that fool right now.

"Oh do put away your paranoia Ben." Helen said. He had not heard her arrive. He'd been too distracted by Will and Henry. His eyes lit up at her. Just as John was now sporting a bald pate, Helen too had changed. Her hair had darkened to nearly black. Her expression was grave, she looked tired.

"Helen." He said warmly with a smile. She returned the smile as he rose and embraced her.

"Oh you've changed, just as beautiful, but so stern." He laughed and ran a thumb along her jaw while looking down into her intelligent eyes.

"You haven't Ben." She smiled and took his hand from her face in a strong grip. Will was watching them entirely too closely. Methos wondered at her comment, of course he'd changed, hadn't he? Gods help him if Ben were all she saw in him.

"My name isn't Ben Helen, surely you've figured that out by now." He said quietly. She released his hand and walked to a desk occupying a corner of the sitting room.

"Of course I have, but I know you as Ben, unless you'd like me to use a different name?" She asked seriously. Methos looked at the others in the room. Gauged the enormity of the secrets they already guarded, considered the enemies they must have, and what information could be leaked.

"No, Ben Johnson is as good a name as any." He admitted. He should have given her one of his other numerous pseudonyms but having two names was already confusing. So, it would be Ben. Had she engineered it that way? Or was it his own paranoia? Circumstances were conspiring against him, breathing life into dead Ben.

"I thought so." Helen said with a triumphant smile.

"I suppose we're waiting on Druitt?" Methos asked regaining his seat.

"Yes. Will stop staring." Helen admonished. The boy was still staring at Methos as though he were a word search.

"Dr. Magnus -"

"Ben is quite an enigma Will, but he's a friend. Now, please allow him to relax. He is a guest in our home." Her tone brooked no argument but was not a rebuke, not really, more a warning. Hold off for now Will, study him later Will. Methos' lip twitched in a near frown and anger flooded him for a moment.

"Oh hell Magnus, let him stare, tell me Will what have you observed about me so far? It's what you do isn't it? Observe, empathize, figure people out?" Methos demanded seeping anger creeping into his tone. Will glanced at Helen and Methos registered her slight permissive gesture toward Zimmerman.

"You act like you're younger than you are, as young as you look, but you're older. You have an extremely bad reaction to teleportation, worse than anyone I know of which makes me think you're different from anyone I've met and seen teleport, maybe even an abnormal. Your clothing is casual and somewhat worn out but it is well made from high quality cloth. You are stronger and faster than you look, you hide your physique with baggy clothes, your hands are calloused, either you're a woodsman or a swordsman. Your speech patterns and body language are all over the place like someone playing different roles in a vaudeville show but much much subtler..."

"Shall he continue Ben?" Helen asked with a smile.

"Bloody hell, you've finally found a man with X-ray eyes Helen." Methos laughed. His anger was still there, lurking, waiting, but collared for the moment. Masked and superceded by frenetic joviality.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right Will. I think Ben was trying to test you." Helen said a wicked glint in her eyes.

"Is this because of that time in Vienna? It was almost a hundred years ago Helen you can't possibly hold a grudge that long, it's not in your nature." Methos pouted theatrically. He allowed Ben to the forefront, let Adam, Methos, the Horseman, all of it drop away.

"You're immortal like Dr. Magnus?" Will asked eyes wide.

"Yes and no, yes immortal no not like Helen." Ben said cheerfully.

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

"Should I tell him?" He asked Helen. Helen frowned unsettled by his apparent attitude change.

"Do as you like, I think I'll see what's keeping John." She said distractedly and left after a troubled glance at Methos that caught Will's attention. Henry moved as though to follow her but Helen gestured for him to stay. He sighed and obeyed.

An awkward silence fell between the three men. Henry had made himself invisible while still staring at Methos.

"Henry relax I'm not going to hurt you." Ben laughed. Henry shrugged slightly embarrassed.

"Uh what are you?" Will asked cautiously but tactlessly.

"Here I'll show you." Ben offered, he lifted the cuff of his pant's leg and retrieved a small fighting knife from his boot.

"Now, if I were to cut either of you it would take days or weeks to heal, in my case an injury usually takes seconds or hours to heal, sometimes rarely days." As the last syllable left his mouth he plunged the knife through his palm. Henry and Will both winced and drew away in shock and disgust.

"What the hell dude! I don't need to see that!" Henry complained, color fading from his face.

"Will, hand me that bowl of potpourri please, I don't want to get blood everywhere. Now, if I removed this knife the wound will heal within seconds, please Will be good enough to examine the injury with the blade in place, satisfy yourself that it is real." Will studied Methos' face for a moment and then gently took the immortal's left hand and examined the knife and the wound. Methos held the bowl of dried flowers in his right hand under the wound.

"It's real." He said softly.

"Henry?"

"No thanks man I'm fine." He grumbled looking a bit sick.

"Thank you Will." Methos' voice was strained.

"Please pull it out and heal, I can see it hurts." Will insisted.

"It always hurts." Methos muttered low enough that he may've been talking only to himself. He set his jaw and pulled the knife free. Instantly pale blue sparks and streaks of what looked like tiny lightning bolts crawled over the injury and a few seconds later bloody but unmarred flesh had replaced the wound.

"Wow." Will said softly.

"Yes, well now that you know I am at least as freaky as Magnus I need your oath that you will not reveal what I am to anyone ever without my permission. What I am is a threat to others, or an opportunity. I don't want to be dissected or tortured because you let slip something you shouldn't really know to begin with." Methos demanded looking at both men.

"You got it man I swear it." Henry said immediately. Will after a moment's thought agreed as well.

Methos -no Ben, Methos was on vacation for awhile. Ben, bitter, eager, resentful, high strung, and dramatic was leading the band now; scrubbed his bloody palm against his jeans and relaxed. Steps in the hall heralded John and Helen's return. He stayed sprawled and relaxed as the duo entered. John was dressed as he had been earlier in the day, or perhaps the day before. Helen wore a black dress reminiscent of the garb she had grown to adulthood in but modernized. She nodded at the gathered men and took her seat at the desk. John stood at her elbow.

"Ahh de ja vu." Ben smirked.

"You look better." John said with a grin.

"I've always looked better than you." Ben shot back with a snicker.

Helen glanced at Henry and Will, noting Ben's blood smeared jeans.

"Ben we need your help." Helen said softly.

"Ahh it's like that is it?" Ben asked with a lurid smirk. Henry shifted uncomfortably and Will blushed slightly. John's face darkened with anger. Helen simply sighed.

"Will, Henry, if you could excuse us, I think we'd better meet tomorrow for breakfast instead." She requested. The two men happily vacated the sitting room. Will exchanged a cryptic look with Helen as he left.

Ben stood languidly and stretched. He slunk toward Helen and John and sat on Helen's desk.

"Did I embarrass you in front of the help?" He asked.

"I didn't bring you here so that we could play games with a whorish fop." Helen snapped. Ben sneered at her.

"Yes well unfortunately that's who you've got, what would you like me to do for you? Or _to_ you?" Ben asked eyes gliding from one to the other of his hosts, the same hungry gleam apparent for both. John took one step forward and wrapped his surprisingly strong hand around Ben's throat, clearing off Helen's desk and lifting the immortal off the ground.

"Why...didn't..you say...you liked...rough...sex?" Ben gasped around John's increasing grip. John released him and Ben dropped to his knees coughing and hacking.

"What is wrong with him?" John growled at Helen.

"I'm not sure, I think he's hiding behind his persona."

"Is it an illness or an act?" John asked her. She didn't reply, merely stared at Ben sprawled on the carpet catching his breath.

"We need Methos not this dandy." John said with contemptuous glare at Ben.

Ben caught his breath and got to his knees. Pain rocketed through him, John's contempt searing old injuries and ripping at half scabbed wounds.

"You needed the whore just as badly once John, we _all did_." Ben snarled hatefully.

_As John watched Ben slid his hands along Helen's bare arms, to her right fist, clutching the sheet. He kissed and sucked at her knuckles while gazing into her luminous eyes. John made a small sound and Ben glanced toward him. His face was filled with lust and jealousy- no not jealousy, envy. Ben smiled coldly at him and returned his attentions to Helen. Firmly but gently he pried her fingers apart and let the sheet fall. Her magnificent body shone gold in the firelight, her blonde curls catching the red of the flames._

_The fresh log shifted and settled with a hiss of complaint. Ben snaked one arm along her back pulling her even closer to him, the other gripped her fist firmly and pressed it between their chests as he kissed her hard. She froze for a moment, rigid against his body, jaws clenched, lips taught, free hand digging nails into his chest. Then she melted into him. Fist relaxing, pressing to his chest, gripping him. She leaned up and forward still kneeling but pressing into him, mouth hungrily seeking his. He sighed into her kisses and looked toward John. _

_Druitt left the warmth of the bed and knelt behind Helen. His strong hands lifting her hair from her neck he leaned close, breath tickling her cheek he tenderly kissed her neck and jaw. Still locked in a kiss with Ben she slowly broke the kiss and twisted into John's attentions. _

"I know what I am to you. I was a whore, a nice diversion, something to spice things up in bed, and now you want to use me again, you need me so you invade my life and bring me here. To use and discard." It was Methos speaking through Ben's pain now. John snarled and strode toward Methos as he knelt on the floral carpet.

"What is so important that you needed your whore again?" Methos snarled pain and resentment filling his words.

Helen was frozen, staring at the two men about to come to blows.

"You were no whore _Ben_ but an eager player-" John scoffed.

"Maybe at first but you knew what you were doing to me, you both did!" The accusation leapt to his lips before he was aware of what he meant to say, but not that, never that, the childish accusation shamed him.

_Dawn broke filling the room with pale light and bird song. Ben was asleep, no drunken pause between bouts but a full restful sleep. He was sprawled on the floor, head resting on John's chest, one arm casually tossed across the other man's waist. On the opposite side of John, Helen was curled against John's ribs, John's face buried in her curls both arms holding her close in sleep, protecting her._

John stared at Methos his expression uncomprehending. His fists were clenched ready to strike the other man.

"John stop!" Helen ordered. John looked at her and held his hand.

"I loved you both." Methos hissed. Helen's pained face told him all he needed to know.

"Christ, you knew Helen, you _knew_ and you said nothing, you let it go on. I was a fool I ..." Suddenly ashamed and raw he turned away from them. Using the low table for support Methos got to his feet.

"Ben I'm so sorry I did not realize until it was far too late." Helen said rounding the desk and reaching for him. Methos glared at her and she froze at John's side.

"You loved us?" John asked disbelieving.

"Yes I loved you, _both_ of you. Gods I should've known better." He laughed bitterly. Helen shook off his glare and walked to him.

"Ben I loved you too in my way but my heart was John's you knew that when we met." She said stopping within arm's reach of him.

"You of all people Helen Magnus should realize that logic cannot rule the heart." He hissed. John looked startled and then sad at Methos' words. He glanced at Helen and saw pain in her eyes. Shame and regret filled him, remembering his own crimes. Slowly he lowered his hands. Magnus loved Druitt, even knowing that he was the Ripper, she had removed him from her life but her heart ached for him, loved him still.

"I am sorry old friend." Druitt murmured.

"Don't, don't call me _that_." Methos snapped at John rage in his eyes. again He looked at them both and burst into laughter.

"I am older than both of you and here I stand blaming you for acting like children, blaming _you _for _my _mistake." He said sourly his rage fading like a crested wave. leaving him feeling hollow, empty, despair chewing at him.

"I have loved before, will again, but you two... you've lived longer than..." he broke off and shook his head. Helen glanced at John, John nodded once and was gone, shimmering rippling air the only sign of his passage.

"You've never loved another of your kind? Someone who could live as long as you?" Helen asked stepping close to him.

He thought of Kronos, of bronze and blood, of a war bride and regret. His face twisted in pain.

"Did the one you love die?" She asked gently, trying to understand.

Again he saw Kronos, saw the rage on his face as Methos' final betrayal grew clear, he saw Cassandra fleeing across a desert. Saw her face twisted with loathing and disgust centuries later.

"What do you know about me?" He demanded cold anger rising once again. Magnus might be nearly 160 years old but she did not have to live life knowing she might have to behead a friend or lover just to keep living. She had not outlived 68 wives and more children than he had ever had the heart to count.

"Not enough. I know I 've wronged you Ben, but I need you, John needs you." She said sadly tears in her eyes.

"Didn't he teach you how he likes to fuck?" Methos demanded lewdly, voice choking with spite. She slapped him, hard enough to draw blood, the injuries glittered with blue lightning and vanished seconds later. She gasped at the sight. He wiped away the trickles of blood and glared at her. She knew he could survive injury, had watched him revive from death itself but had not witnessed the process.

"I don't care what you want you had no right to force me here." He whispered moving away from her touch.

"It's for my daughter, our daughter, John's and I." She pleaded moving closer to him again.

Methos laughed then a desolate, ashen sound.

"As far as I know for most of the last hundred years John has been a homicidal maniac, was that a turn on for you?" He asked gripping her wrists in one hand, preventing her from touching him again.

"I found out I was pregnant shortly after his crimes were revealed. I had the embryo removed and frozen. I was lonely so I had her twenty odd years ago." She hissed and wrenched her wrists free.

"You know for sure she's John's?" He asked quietly.

"Yes." she said firmly though her tone quavered.

"My species are sterile Helen you need not worry about me." He growled dismissively. He turned away from the relief in her face, sickened by the urges he felt toward her. Fuck or fight, he thought bitterly.

"Why me?" He asked quietly, fists clenched at his sides.

"She is innocent of hurting you-"

"Tell me why you need me. Don't tell me about the girl, she doesn't interest me." He interrupted coldly. He was carefully packing Ben and his wounds away.

"She was captured by an organization called the Cabal, they somehow forced her to manifest John's gift and then brainwashed her into joining them. She stole the last vial of pure vampire blood and teleported to the Cabal." Helen said tightly.

"John can teleport, why _me_?" He asked calmly. Methos faced Helen now, the pain and rage of Ben had been addressed and was now locked away. An expression flickered across Helen's face too fast for Methos to register properly. Doubt? Confusion? Surprise?

"Henry has managed to find the likeliest location for the vial and Ashley. Easter Island. But the security system literally kills anyone who attempts to access their facility."

"You want me to die getting through and revive on the other side?" Methos asked.

"Only long enough to disable the security system."

"You're asking me to die for you." He mused studying her face. She was desperate he could see that, she was also honest, had always been honest. Except maybe toward the end, then she had kindness surpass her honesty and damned him with it.

"She's my daughter Ben." A mother's plea. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them slowly, almost glaring at her.

"What is one more mortal to me Magnus? You all die." He said coldly.

"If we can get her out we can retrieve the blood as well. The Cabal have engineered a virus, it attacks abnormals drives them insane and then kills them -"

"That's why you retrieved the vial, to stop the virus? Who did they infect? Henry? John? Your precious protege? They played you Helen, captured your prized possessions, now you want me to die and likely kill to get them back for you? I don't owe you that much." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. He was hungry, thirsty, exhausted.

"Ben-"

"What about Tesla? I'm sure he's lurking somewhere making moon eyes at you." Methos snapped, frustrated with her pleas.

"He has refused to help."

"How shocking of him, a man of his moral leanings abandoning a friend" he sneered, "and the rest of the Five?"

"James died after we retrieved the blood and Nigel's granddaughter is not suited for the job." Helen said stiffly.

"If I agree I want you to leave me alone Helen, forever." Methos said firmly. She looked stunned. He stepped close to her and held her hands in his.

"I truly loved you once, I know that was a foolish and unforgivably stupid thing to do, I knew better but there it was. I know that what John was... I know you loved him even while you condemned him. I know that you would have killed him if you could. I don't know what's cured his madness...He's changed, he's tired, full of pain and regret. Love him for me Helen since I cannot give either of you what you need give it to one another. Forgive him, trust him if you can. There's no place for me here. The place I thought I once had was a fantasy, the place I could have is a joke. If I do this, let me go. " He said softly. He did not tell her that he too had loved John in spite of his madness and cruelty, loved her as she locked herself away and vanished from him. Loved them both now as much as Ben ever had.

Her looming tears fell, coursing down her cheeks and wetting their clasped hands.

"You'll help us save Ashley?" She asked voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, I suppose I will." He sighed.

"Then I will leave you alone Ben, I'll never bother you again." The relief in her voice, teetering on joy, clawed at him.


	3. Ready? Set? DIE

The ship pitched and rocked sickeningly. The sea swelled and roiled with a vigor bordering on the malicious. Methos leaned against the hip high rail circling the deck. The sea rotted paint of the rail rough under his palms, cool with spray and the unrelenting sea wind. His grip was so tight his knuckles were white, even the quick of his nails were bloodless.

"Relax, you aren't doing yourself any favors." Will said gently. Methos glared at the mortal.

"Until you've crossed the Atlantic in a rowboat with a handful of fanatics and no facilities keep your opinion to yourself." Methos hissed. Will frowned but didn't reply. Instead he stayed close to the miserable immortal.

As Methos' stomach calmed in spite of the unchanging weather he straightened and relaxed his grip on the rail. They were a few hours from Easter Island. He knew the plan. Knew that they would lie in wait offshore until nightfall and then move close enough to launch a dinghy with himself and John aboard. They were erring toward caution, it was conceivable that the Cabal had studied John's ability closely enough to set up a defense against it similar to what Helen had devised. Or at least, manage to alert the facility that a teleporter was nearby.

They dropped anchor and waited. Methos shivered as his sweat dried in the chill wind. His nausea faded as the cargo ship's engines shut down. Will remained at his side, quiet and apparently content to remain quiet.

"All right, out with it." Methos sighed glancing at Will.

"I don't think you should go to the island."

"Your friend's life _depends_ upon me going to the Island." Methos muttered.

"What good will it do if you go there and get killed or captured? She'll still be a prisoner only you'll be dead or locked up with her."

"What do you suggest instead?" Methos asked with a smirk. Will frowned.

"I'm coming with you."

"You're very smart Will, but John and I have abilities you don't, either of us has a better chance at surviving there than you do."

"No you don't. Not right now, you're distracted, besides I might be able to see something, a way around the perimeter or through it that won't require getting you killed to circumvent." Will insisted.

"No Will."

"You don't have a choice." Will said softly, jaw set.

"I always have a choice, I won't let you on that island Will. If you want me to help you retrieve Ashley you'll stay here." Methos growled. Will stared back at him unafraid and determined.

"I'm not asking to infiltrate the perimeter."

Methos leaned away from the rail. Boots scraping across the rough deck he slowly strolled toward the hatch leading down into the ship's hold. _Fuck it_, he thought suddenly bitter and resigned, _fuck it and them, let the kid come along and get shot, what did it matter in the end?_

"Come on you'll need a weapon." He said over his shoulder. .

Death, even for an immortal, was not something anyone wanted to experience unnecessarily. If Will could find a way around the perimeter without requiring Methos' death so much the better. John was in the hold already. He watched as Methos strapped on his hardware and took the time to arm Will.

"You're bringing the boy?" John asked softly the warm rumble of his voice tugging at buried memories in the immortal.

"Have you ever died John?" Methos asked sharply. John stared hard at Methos, Methos handed Will an automatic handgun.

"I don't recommend it." He said softly as he looked over Will. "If Will can find a way in fine, if not he can hang back and back us up if we hit trouble."

"Ben-"

"Stop calling me that John. It isn't my name." Methos said finally facing John. John studied him for a moment.

"You are content with this Dr. Zimmerman?" He asked turning to Will.

"I insisted."

Methos made his way back up to the deck ignoring John's palpable stare. An uncomfortable silence descended on the hold.

"Why?" John asked carefully.

"Because he doesn't trust you anymore. He might think he does, he might even believe it, but he doesn't. If he has to trust you to get out of there alive one or both of you could die."

"Does he trust you?"

"No, but he believes me." Will said heading for the ladder to the deck.

"Will." John said softly. Will paused and looked back at John. He did not trust or like John Druitt, but he had a duty to Magnus and the Sanctuary.

"_Can_ he trust me again, will he?"

"I don't know. I don't think he realized how badly he was hurt by your relationship until now. He's old Druitt, he literally locks away parts of himself in order to keep going forward and survive."

"You're saying that everything that happened, all that pain, he's just now feeling it?"

"Maybe to some degree, I think he brushed it aside but now it's come back."

John was silent, thinking it over.

"You need to convince him to bottle it away again."

"I can't do that. That tactic isn't working anymore, if it were he would have been able to interact with you normally. I'll do what I can but you can't put too much pressure on him, let him get you in and then get him out."

"Magnus was right to recruit you." John said finally and pushed past Will to the ladder.

Night fell and the dinghy set out. The three men were silent. Will shivered slightly in the cold damp air. He watched Methos' passive face as the immortal studied the looming shoreline. A slight tick in the immortal's jawline, tension around his eyes, and the occasional wetting of his lips all indicated to Will that Methos was far from calm. Druitt also displayed signs of tension. Will shifted and settled into his spot on the rudimentary bench of the dinghy.

"We're nearly there, five minutes." John murmured, the other men nodded.

"When we arrive stick together, stay silent, we chose the least secure access point but there may be sentries." John growled and cut the engine. He handed Methos an oar and the duo started to row to shore.

The beach was smooth and ended abruptly in a grass field. The trio beached their dinghy and did their best to hide it. Moving inland they were nearly silent, moving quickly Will and Methos followed John until he gestured to hold.

"The perimeter is five hundred feet ahead, Will see if you can spot a weakness." John requested. He exchanged a glance with Methos. The immortal's gaze was critical and calculating. He shadowed Will as the boy crept closer to the perimeter. John followed.

Will crouched and studied the landscape below. The perimeter looked like a simple steel cable fence. A figure on a dual sport motorbike patrolled it casually spurting from one section to another. It paused at every section and scanned the area outside the fence.

"Looks like he's got night vision." Will sighed.

"I thought you were a genius, figure it out." Methos snapped. Will frowned and kept studying the layout.

"There's a few seconds when he's distracted by the bike, right before he heads to another section." Will said. Methos nodded and started to rise, John put a hand on the immortal's arm. Methos flinched minutely and John withdrew his hand.

"The sentry is not the problem." John said softly. Methos frowned.

"I don't want to know John, crossing the fence will kill me, I know that. Just...let me do this." He whispered staring at the fence. John stared at the artery in Methos' neck, watched it jump and twitch with the immortal's pulse. He was afraid. It had never really occurred to John that Methos could be afraid of death. The man was ancient, had slaughtered hundreds, probably thousands but he was afraid to die? Even knowing he would come back?

"I will come for you." John said gripping the immortal's bicep and staring hard at him. Methos nodded slightly and shrugged John's hand away. He looked at Will and waited until the younger man nodded once.

He shot toward the fence like a rabbit fleeing a pack of hungry hounds. He hit the cable and vaulted over it. As his body reached the apex of the arc over the fence he went rigid and dropped bonelessly to the ground on the other side. Dead.

"What-"

"Quiet." John snarled cutting off Will's question.

An agonizing half hour passed. John was rigid with tension Will's soft assurances were the only thing preventing him from trying to teleport to Methos' body and retrieve him. Finally slowly they saw movement.

"Did you see?" John asked not finishing the question.

"It might just be a cloud passing the moon." Will cautioned not daring to hope.

As they watched Methos writhed in what looked like pain then went still again. Finally he rose to his knees and waved languidly toward John and Will. He staggered away from the perimeter toward the compound.

"He's hurt." Will muttered.

"The ship will radio us when the energy signature around the perimeter changes, I'll teleport in for B-Methos. You should head to the beach, wait with the dinghy." John suggested. Will studied John for a moment.

"You have to wait until the perimeter goes down John, if you go in before that you'll die and he'll be trapped-"

"Save your sentimentality boy, I will not die for him, neither will I allow him to die." John growled.


	4. No Time to Talk

Breaching the compound was child's play. The Cabal's perimeter was so difficult to breach that only minor security precautions were utilized inside it. Locked doors and security cameras, no living guards he could see. Methos' body ached and throbbed, his Quickening felt strange, almost drunk. Edgy and unhappy with his trip so far he took his time getting to the compound.

He spotted a door and waited for another half hour before moving in. He felt slightly better but not up to fighting anyone. He was hoping stealth and cunning would be good enough. Methos ghosted through the night, the knee high seagrass clawing at his clothing as he approached the door. The grass could slice exposed flesh if given a chance, it was a hybrid that incorporated sand into its blades as a defensive measure, it scraped loudly across Methos' heavy dark clothing as he walked to the door.

The lock was expensive but easily picked. He slipped inside and blinked as he was assaulted by flourescent lights. The low hum of the ballast in the lights pierced his skull like rusty nails. His Quickening still felt wrong and the lights weren't helping. He licked his lips and squinted against the light.

He was standing in the entrance of a long hall, it was straight as an arrow and ended in a dead end. Three doors were located sporadically down the length of it. Moving smoothly Methos approached the first. It was steel, solid, and windowless. He picked it quickly and entered ready to bluster and bullshit or fight. It looked like a server room. Racks of RAID hard drives and the low hum of fans greeted him. A gleeful smile of destruction creased his tight features. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a small explosives kit.

It wouldn't take much to turn the state of the art room into a mass of cinders and toxic smoke. He carefully placed several small explosives and set the timer to trigger a slow burn in twenty minutes. He cracked the door and peered out. The hall was still empty. He slipped out and hurried to the next door.

Methos again picked the lock and slipped inside. This time darkness greeted him, darkness and a familiar almost fruity smell. Hop's gun oil. He carefully felt around the door frame for a light switch. Wincing in the light he let out an appreciative whistle. Racks of pristine weaponry greeted him. He actually wet his lips and drifted forward. He didn't have much time but these weapons were state of the art and incredibly expensive. He carefully selected two very nice handguns and an assault shotgun. He grabbed a shoulder holster and a thigh holster for the handguns and extra clips and shells. He had brought little more than knives with him. He had worried about being discovered dead, most of his personal armament would pass a casual inspection but being found dead with obvious weaponry was another story.

Feeling relief at being properly armed and with one last door to face he quickly entered. This time he waited for his eyes to adjust. Finally the light leaking from the door behind him allowed him to see the outline of his surroundings. He was at the top of a flight of stairs. A thrill of fear shot along his spine.

If _he_ had designed a super-secret bunker, he would insure there was only one point of entrance. He would set up booby traps and passwords to make any attempt to enter both difficult and deadly. He thought about the server room and the explosives he had rigged. He had five minutes before systems started crashing. Methos could wait five minutes and use the burning server room as a distraction, or he could wait five minutes and hope that the crippled servers brought down the perimeter. His third option would be to follow the staircase to it's terminus.

He backed up and re-entered the hallway. He drew his hand guns and flipped off the safeties. He would wait for John, but he would keep an eye on the stairway and the exterior door. If anyone else came through he wasn't going to wait for them to sound an alarm or realize who he was. He thought back to the photo John and Magnus had made him study.

A blond girl, ice blue eyes, extremely straight bright blond hair. Muscular, fierce, and beautiful. Her height was hard to judge but he would guess near Magnus' or maybe taller. He wouldn't shoot her unless he had to, but he was returning to the freighter with John and Helen's daughter. Whether the brat liked it or not.

Four and a half minutes later four armed personnel burst into the hallway from outside. They wore combat helmets with visors and body armor. He couldnt' tell if they were male or female. He didn't dare shoot to kill in case the Cabal had flipped Ashley and sent her after him. He aimed for knees and elbows, painful, probably crippling but not fatal. The first two dropped with gargled shrieks, the second two fired before falling. The first enemy shot went wide the second was high and caught Methos' collarbone. He let out a strangled cry of frustration and pain.

He wouldn't be able to set the shattered bone properly himself, it would heal badly and be a mobility issue as well as bloody painful until he could see to it. Grinding his teeth he fought the adrenaline and pain fueled urge to kill the last guard. Instead he pulled each of the four's helmets off and checked their faces against his mental copy of the photo. No go.

Wincing he tore at his shirt to check the bullet wound. It was still oozing but the bone was beginning to set and the flesh soon knit itself whole with the help of his Quickening. The light of it had changed somehow, it was more white than blue and stung like peroxide as it did its work. He shook off the fear that crawled over him at the sight and feel of his apparently damaged Quickening and shushed the wounded Cabal soldiers.

"Quiet or I'll make you quiet." He growled, the whimpering and cursing muffled. He moved back to the door to the staircase and listened. He could hear footsteps, heavy, probably wearing boots. He stepped back from the door and waited.

The steps paused at the door. A heartbeat later the door flew open and he drew a bead. Ashley was standing there. Her face was bloodied, her bright blue eyes looked crazed and even bluer amidst the blood. She was holding a knife, a bloody knife.

"My name is Methos, your parents sent me for you." He said not lowering his gun. She stared at him. Her tongue snaked out and licked her dry lips, sweat stood out on her skin along with the blood.

"Druitt is waiting for us, is the perimeter down?"

She nodded once.

"Are you alone?" He asked. Again she nodded. He lowered his weapon and nodded toward the still open door to the outside. He allowed her to take point and followed her at a cautious distance. He was doing his job, getting her out, but he didn't trust her as far as he could throw a buffalo.

Dawn was breaking as they left the compound. Methos moved closer to Ashley. The girl moved like a soldier, she was fast and surprisingly quiet in the long grass.

As they approached the perimeter Methos shot a sour look at Ashley.

"You're sure the perimeter is down?"

"Yes, I'm positive."

"I only ask because the last time it killed me." Methos growled. His comment seemed to break her fugue.

"Killed you?" She asked skeptically.

"Yep, hurt like hell too, so the perimeter _is _down?" He asked again, his voice was hard and tight. He had to know if it was down, he couldn't risk getting killed like that again, he couldn't risk her life. She studied him for a moment and then looked away, toward the fence.

"Yeah it's down they were going to move me, they turned it off and … it's down." She was looking down, at the red blood on her hands. Her eyes brimmed with tears for a moment, then her jaw flexed and she squared her shoulders and stared at him. He put a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. The pressure dragged her thoughts back to the present. She shrugged his hand away with an annoyed expression.

"I'll go first-"

"No, I will, if they've turned it back on you won't survive."

"Look dude, you're a mess-"She started to argue staring at his mangled shoulder.

"I got in here didn't I?

She scowled and folded her arms in annoyance. Methos stomped toward the perimeter fence, irritated with himself for insisting that he go first, irritated with John and Helen, irritated with the scared kid behind him, so irritated he almost didn't feel afraid.

He took a deep breath and reached for the fence.


	5. Small Thanks

This time he didn't feel it before it dropped him. No pain, no tingling, just nothingness. He came to a few feet away from the fence on the ocean side. The salt breeze felt like ice on his cheek. He blinked, or rather he tried to blink. He was mostly paralyzed, he could feel and hear his heart beat, feel the wet sea air racing through his nostrils but he couldn't make himself move. Somewhere he could hear sea birds calling and waves.

A face loomed into his line of sight, blond, slightly rounded, crystal clear blue eyes in a mask of blood with too-white teeth gleaming between pert lips. His mind gibbered at him that he knew that face and it was important to protect it. He tried to move again and felt one finger shift. He was sprawled on the coarse seagrass, fingers buried in the sandy soil.

Voices boomed at him like storm driven waves on rocks, warbling and indecipherable. One higher than the other, the two tones dancing and darting around each other like siamese fighting fish. He laughed, or thought he did. Hands were on him. Grips that were rough and bruising, too tight and savage with speed.

Suddenly the world flipped and he was racing across the grass, his shadow turning day to evening, a premature colorless sunset. Blood rushed to his dangling head while his arms and legs stuck out like inarticulate cries for help. Propelled by those same clawing hands.

He laughed again, this time he heard the soft sigh of mad joy before the wind snatched it. The seabirds were still crying and wheeling overhead, drifting down an unseen drain. The premature night faded and flared into a sharp blinding dawn. Water, dancing, bright and dangerous splashed inches below him and then the sky appeared again. And a new face with a new voice.

"Methos?" A soft distant blow rocked his vision and the new face moved away. He was rising and floating and then surrounded by warmth and the ground was gently drifting and rocking under him, and in the end nothing else mattered much. He drifted into the lurking gray and was still.

"...full recovery."

His eyes flickered feverishly and finally snapped open. He panicked and sat up too fast. Head swimming and vision still adjusting he reached out reflexively for an enemy. Someone gripped his wrists firmly and a calming voice broke through his panic.

"You're okay you're at the Sanctuary." As Methos' eyes adjusted he realize it was Will. He was holding Methos' wrists and attempting to keep his head on his shoulders as Methos flailed to free himself.

"What happened?" Methos asked slowly sitting up. Will released his wrists and helped him sit upright.

"The perimeter was kicking back on when you went over the second time." Will said and let Methos get his balance and then helped him drink a small amount of water.

"The girl?"

"She's okay she went over a few seconds after you, something about your body interacting with the field interrupted it long enough for her to cross safely."

"Splendid." Methos sighed sourly.

"Take it easy you've been out for a few days. It looks like the field reset your body's electrical field."

"A biologically focused E.M. Pulse?"

"Basically, only the pulse is somehow looped to be a continuous charge."

"Clever." Methos admitted. His head was pounding like he'd been drinking vodka for three days straight. The light in the infirmary was stabbing his retinas. Will dimmed the lights. The claws trying to blind him finally drew back.

"Where's Magnus?"

"She's here, she's on her way in, we were getting worried about you."

"I heard someone talking-"

"That was me talking to Magnus on my cell." Will assured him. Methos nodded distractedly. He got to his feet and frowned at his paper gown.

"Will?" He asked.

"Oh yeah sorry I'll get some clothes for you."

Methos shivered in the cool air as Will left.

He ate a small meal after he dressed. The food tasted fine but he didn't finish the meal, he was concerned about drugs but he could feel his weakness and knew he needed to eat. Will returned to take Methos' plate.

"Any word from Magnus?"

"She should be down soon." Will said with a smile.

"Hey How's Ashley?"

"She's doing well, she wants to see you when you're feeling better."

"Why?"

"She wants to thank you. Look it's not often a complete stranger involves himself in the Sanctuary and it's even rarer that Ashley gets into a situation that she can't get herself out of."

"So I beat her?"

"Yeah I guess, in a way." Will agreed, he seemed puzzled. It was a wierd, though accurate leap to make. Ashley's competitive nature was intrinsic to her makeup but Methos barely knew her.

The door opened and Magnus entered.

"Helen." He said neutrally. She smiled broadly at him and sat on the edge of his bed. He was sitting cross legged leaving plenty of room.

"Thank you Ben."

"I'm not-"

"Yes you are, part of you somewhere in there _is_ Ben. So thank you. You didn't have to help us."

"That part of me you so admire did. Are we done?" He asked coldly and stood.

"Ashley was hoping to speak with you." Helen said carefully.

"That's sweet but I don't care. I did it for you and John and because you made a promise. Now I have a life of my own I'd like to get back to." He said softly sliding off the bed. He could see his familiar Ivanhoe in a rack near the door. He strode toward it and as his hand wrapped around the familiar handle he felt himself relax minutely. It was familiar and well worn. He had killed with it yes, but more often he had defended himself and run.

He wasn't a coward, but any combat situation had an element of chance. Why would he risk his life on the offchance of a wet floor or some similar element of bad luck when he could simply run away? He was a competent fighter, had proven that over time but he preferred living to killing. At least now he did.

"Methos-"

It was John. Methos flinched at the voice, it was such a slight reflexive movement that only John caught it. Will was across the room speaking with Magnus.

"I'm leaving John. Now." He said firmly. John nodded once.

"I can take you."

"Have any dramamine?" Methos asked with a small smile. He couldn't hate John. The man had never known what he was doing to 'Ben'. That Magnus had realized it too late made no difference in the end. He offered John his hand, Druitt gripped it firmly at the wrist and a split second later the Sanctuary was gone.

**So obviously from this point on things are rather different from the 'original' crack version :)  
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	6. Aftershock

Thundering blind nausea washed over him John, wisely anticipating that reaction, had teleported to the alley next to the bar where he'd tracked Methos down. He steadied Methos as the immortal dropped heavily to his knees, pitched forward, emptied his stomach and dry heaved until he was certain he'd broken a rib. He rolled onto his side, chest heaving, vision blinded by bile inspired tears. He wiped at his mouth and struggled to get to his feet. John gripped his arm and hauled him to his feet.

"Come, where is your home?" John asked.

Methos could feel the heat of John's body through the leather of his coat; smell the man's natural scent the counterpoint of some …floral? Soap.

"N-north." He gasped mouth tasting of bile and fire, legs unsteady. John pulled him close and began to walk.

"Buck up old man you're in gay Paris." John rumbled with a smile. Methos raised his head, cheeks damp from tears and looked at John.

"Leave me John." He gasped.

John snorted and kept walking.

"You made a deal –"

"No, Magnus made a deal, _she_ agreed to leave you alone."

Methos was quiet as John half dragged him along.

"Stop. Turn left." He croaked.

John helped Methos stand for a moment. The immortal's skin was cool and damp, his flesh tone paper white.

"You don't look very good old friend."

"Perhaps because I left my spleen behind in that alley." He whispered hoarsely. John looped an arm around him and helped him walk to his apartment door.

"You shouldn't be alone like this." John said as Methos fumbled open the door. He leaned against the door jamb and glared at John.

"I'll be fine, go back to Magnus and your daughter, I'm sure they need you more than I." He snapped.

John looked terribly sad for a moment then his face tensed and darkened with his usual arrogant anger.

"Good bye." He said harshly and vanished in a whirl of color and dancing air.

Methos' knees gave and he sagged to the floor. He managed to get inside the apartment and close the door. He lay there for some time, wondering if getting up and getting to his narrow bed would be worth the effort. Eventually his body decided for him and he slipped away.

He dreamed.

_A card game, the Five gathered for debate and games with the assistance of spirits, and forbidden eastern substances. _

_Helen laughs, drawing the eye of every man in the room though she has eyes for John alone. Ben, a newcomer, an outsider, lingers near the door. He scans the gathered men with a practiced and knowing eye. Nikola Tesla catches his gaze, frowns, and adjusts the fit of his coat, an unconscious betrayal of his own insecurities. Ben notes this, files it away as Helen and John notice him. Helen rises and greets him warmly. Behind her Ben sees a sour expression twist Tesla's narrow features. Next to Tesla sits James Watson, a man Ben finds disturbing. He sees everything and further resembles Ben to a disturbingly uncanny degree. The two men are not kin, Ben knows this as certainly as he knows his own name, but the resemblance is eerie. _

_Helen invites Ben to stay, offers him food, drink, and exotic pleasures. He thinks of leaving, of avoiding Tesla's rancor and Watson's too keen gaze. Then he recognizes Nigel and another man he doesn't know. Small, Irish by the accent, he talks quickly his tone light and warm, slightly gap toothed but handsome nonetheless. Nigel looks mildly annoyed by the man. Intrigued Ben decides that he will stay. He will flirt, gamble, eat, drink and see what the night leads to. _

_Violence. It leads to violence and a final irrevocable expulsion._

He wakes briefly, sweating and aching as though wracked by ague or flu he staggers to his narrow bed and collapses onto it and back into the dream.

"_Do tell me Ben, what could possibly bring you here at this hour?" Tesla sneers as Ben takes a seat at the large table. The little man he doesn't know is at his elbow, Nigel on the other side of him._

"_Why the company M'sieur Tesla." Ben says with a terrible French accent. The stranger blinks and tunes into the conversation, leaving Nigel in peace. Nigel glances at Ben with an expression that might have been gratitude._

"_You have no place here sir, Adam Worth is a better man than you and he has no place here!" Tesla snaps patience worn thin. Ben's gaze flickers to the little Irishman. The man rises and rounds on Tesla._

"_You're here because of Helen's misguided kindness Worth, you're not one of the Five and you never will be." _

_Ben realizes his presence has exacerbated some other wound, some irregularity that Tesla's arrogance and pride could not bare._

"_Be still Tesla this man has nought to do with me, if you are angry with me then be angry with me." Ben says in a more natural accent and rises, moves between the Irishman and the angry Serbian scientist._

"_Trash." Tesla sneers at Ben._

"_Enough, Nikola, if you cannot be civil then leave this is Helen's gathering and these are her guests." John rumbles eyes flashing. Ben wishes that flash and anger were for him but knows that it is for Helen and her feelings alone. John doesn't care about Ben or this Adam any more than he does for a dog in the street. _

"_No, if it will bring peace back to this gathering I will go. I know where I am not wanted."_

"_Evidently not." Tesla snapped._

"_Apologize!" Helen demanded rising from her seat. Watson and Nigel rose as well adding their presence to her authority. Four of the Five had spoken against him, seeing the change of feeling Tesla's pride rears its head._

"_To your concubine? I think not." Tesla snarls gathers his coat and strides to the door. _

_Ben sees the frustration and pain in Helen's eyes, the milling and stirring of the Five and Worth and angry, somehow ashamed, he follows Tesla. He doesn't know what he'll say or even why he is trying but he feels an impulse to smooth things with Tesla. _

_He finds the angry genius pacing a stretch of street in front of the ale house. _

"_Shall I fetch a buggy for you?' Ben asks insolently. It was not his intention but the words sprang to his lips as soon as he saw Tesla, dampened by the perpetual fog, red faced and mussed, somehow out of his element._

"_No but you can die." Tesla snarls and Ben realizes that it was a trap, Tesla manipulated the scene upstairs to lure him down, set things up so that he could claim Ben had attacked him._

"_You won't get away with this Tesla." Ben says firmly._

_The confidence in his voice disturbs Tesla but the vampire heir does not put away the pistol he is leveling at Ben's chest._

"_Why you?" Tesla asked sharply._

_Ben is confused for a moment then smiles._

"_They don't love me Tesla, if that's your worry."_

"_Of course they don't you're nothing, you're a whore, a convenient toy."_

_Ben tenses, feels Tesla's words like icy daggers._

"_She loves John Tesla, nothing you or I ever do or say will change that."_

_A dark light fills Tesla's eyes._

"_She knows about him Tesla, just as you and Watson do but no one will say it!" Ben shouts leaping ahead of Tesla's thoughts._

"_Then perhaps someone should." Tesla says snidely. Ben moves forward without thinking without worrying about what it would mean if Tesla pulls the trigger before Ben reaches him._

_A shot rings out and Helen screams, a short high noise she bites off almost as soon as she utters it. As Ben falls to the cobbled road he twists and sees her standing in the doorway of the alehouse. There's a strange sound and then he's in John's arms, Helen rushes to his side._

"_Why Ben?" John asks, his voice is intrigued not accusing._

"_He attacked me." Tesla says, his voice low and satisfied. Ben thinks about arguing, about explaining what had really happened but he can't breathe. The Irishman, Nigel and even James have arrived surrounding him. Adam says something about making room but the world dims to black before Ben can do anything._

"_-murder." Someone says as his eyes flutter open and his empty lungs claw at the cold humid air. _

"_Christ!" Watson shouts drawing the attention of the others. _

_Ben rolls onto his side coughing and wheezing._

"_That's impossible." Watson snaps. The six exchange glances._

"_Adam you are certain he was dead?" Helen asks._

"_Absolutely." Worth agrees._

"_Death is tricky." John warns._

"_Don't be ridiculous, we all saw him get plugged by Nikola." Nigel snaps. _

_Tesla stares at Ben with curiosity and contempt._

"_I'm fine." Ben wheezes getting to his knees. He studies the bullet hole in his expensive vest and sighs._

"_Ben –"_

"_Come now Magnus, is this really that surprising?" He asks tiredly. John takes his arm and hauls him to his feet as easily as if Ben were a small boy with a skinned knee._

"_Yes it is." Helens snaps._

"_What are you?" Watson asks, face alight with curiosity._

"_I'm a man, like you." Ben says unhelpfully. _

_It is when Helen looks at him again, when he meets her eyes and sees the scientist examining a specimen and not the lover looking at him that he realizes she never loved him._

_He turns and runs into the fog choked city, driven by his embarrassment and natural caution, his grief and self-loathing, his aching heart._

When he wakes again afternoon light is cutting an arc through dusty air to shine onto his face. His mouth is dry as a desert and tastes like a latrine. His clothing clings to his frame with a tenacity born of sweat and too-long wear. He levers himself upright and staggers to his bathroom. He runs water for a hot bath and scrubs his teeth with near-religious vigor banishing the foul taste and the memories of its inception.

His clothing falls away heavily making untidy dark mounds on the chipped tile floor. He slips into the bath and closes his eyes; he slips under the water and stays there, listening to the roar and rush of his blood in his ears until his lungs ache. He pops over the surface and lets out his breath.

"Will you never bloody well grow up?" He asks his reflection in the rippling steaming water. It doesn't answer as he leans back against the rim of the tub and closes his eyes.


	7. Take Back

"So who was he?" Ashley asked as the Big Guy continued running tests on her. Will glanced at her and then at Bigfoot.

"A friend of Magnus' I really don't know much about him."

"You know more than I do." She said pointedly.

"You should talk to Magnus about it –"

She groaned at Will. He put his hands up defensively.

"Look, he's gone now, John took him home, you should concentrate on yourself for now." Will half laughed.

He excused himself to find Magnus.

She was in her office back to her computer staring out a window down onto the immaculately groomed courtyard below.

"You okay?" He asked. She startled and turned to him.

"Yes, just lost in thought."

"Seriously, are you okay?" He asked gently. She gave him a half smile.

"Yes Will. Seeing Methos again… there are things I wish I had handled differently."

"I think most of us can say that." He said kindly.

"I didn't know that he was an abnormal when we met." She said with a sigh.

"Would that have changed things?"

"I don't know. Probably not." She admitted.

"What bothers you about how things ended?"

"I never had a chance to talk to him, to explain."

"Why don't you try now?"

"Because I promised him that I would leave him alone." She said firmly and looked at him.

"How is Ashley?"

"Hard to say, she seems herself again and so far the tests are coming back normal."

"Right, well, the E.M. field is up now. She shouldn't be able to teleport again."

"Will Druitt be back?" Will asked curiously. He didn't much like Druitt but something about him, the way he stood at times, or the way he spoke to Helen and looked at Ashley, something about him made Will think he wasn't really as terrible as he played at being.

"I don't know. Probably." Magnus said moving to her computer.

"Okay, well I'll get back to work then –"

"Remind Henry to check the perimeter security please."

Will raised an eyebrow.

"She doesn't necessarily need to teleport to escape." Magnus pointed out.

"Right." Will nodded and turned to go.

"Will, thank you." Magnus said softly He nodded and smiled.

* * *

><p>"Ah come on!" Henry groaned and bent to the keyboard in front of him.<p>

"Problems?" Will asked.

"Someone keeps trying to hack us." Henry growled intent on the screen in front of him.

"What? Who?"

"I don't know I've been too busy keeping them out to try to back hack them!"

"What can I do?"

"Tell Magnus and lock everything down, let me know when you have a hard lockdown and I'll start taking systems offline, see if we can cut off access to vital areas and free us up enough to figure out who's doing this."

Will swapped his hip mounted radio for a freshly charged radio and called Magnus as he moved to lockdown the Sanctuary.

"Magnus we've got trouble we're being hacked, Henry has asked me to start a manual lockdown."

"Understood I'm heading to the infirmary."

She didn't need to say why, Will knew why, if this was part of a Cabal attack to reclaim Ashley then they'd be hitting the infirmary.

He started to jog.

* * *

><p>"You're healthy but your bloodwork is abnormal." The Big Guy rumbled as Ashley sighed.<p>

"Look I don't know how to teleport, I know that I did it I just don't know how –"

Magnus rushed in.

"Hey, what's up Mom?" She asked half rising.

"We're being hacked, Will is manually locking down the building."

"I'll lock the door." The Big Guy said while snuffling the air for any scent of invaders.

Magnus nodded then took Ashley's hand.

"Ashley you must concentrate, do you remember anything about the Cabal?"

"I told you last I remember was drinking that energy drink then I was in the basement of that place on the island. I managed to get out and I ran into Methos. That's it."

"I love you Ashley." Magnus said and cuffed her daughter to the bed.

"Hey – what the hell?"

"I can't leave Henry and Will without backup, you won't be alone but I can't risk you escaping."

"I'm a prisoner?" Ashley shouted as her mother armed herself and slipped out to join Will and Henry.

"She's keeping you safe." The Big Guy grunted as Ashley tugged at the cuff. She didn't reply, simply pulled harder on the cuffs.

* * *

><p>"What's the situation Henry?" Magnus asked entering Henry's work area.<p>

"You aren't gonna like it." He grunted while scrolling through code lines and entering commands.

"Spill." She snapped.

"Okay so we've been hacked."

"Will said someone was _trying_ to hack us."

"Right except when I was busy locking down their blatant strong arm hack they backdoored me with some seriously killer hacker, I haven't seen anyone like this before."

"What did they get?"

"Nothing, I mean, they didn't access our security at all, they just ran a file search and copied some data."

"What information?"

"I'm not sure there's no single search parameter it's scrambled."

"Is the hacker still in the system?"

"No as soon as I kicked out the bots I locked out the hacker too." Henry sounded offended by the question.

"Where's Will?"

"Looking for you I guess.

"Will? What's your location?" Magnus asked her handheld radio.

"Uh, we have a problem." Will stammered over the radio.

"Where are you?"

"Henry bring up the courtyard feed." Will called over the radio.

Henry hit a few buttons and sat back from his screen.

A dozen abnormals dressed in identical black fatigues were standing in the courtyard.

"What the hell?" Magnus asked. As they watched the cadre looked up at the camera recording them, their eyes went black and their fingers narrowed to obsidian claws.

"They're vampires!" Magnus snapped over the radio to Will.

"No they're something else." Will said sharply as the cadre teleported from the courtyard.

"What the hell, the E.M. shield is up!" Henry cried and jerked forward hitting keys and bringing up the command line.

"Everyone arm up and head to the infirmary the Cabal is here!" Magnus snapped.

"You too Henry we're on hard lockdown you can leave the system as is." She ordered.

* * *

><p>"Take the door." The Big Guy grunted at Henry as he entered. The big Sasquatch was half hunched in a stance of tense preparedness. Will took one look at him and nodded. He moved to check on Ashley, she was tense and keyed up but seemed okay.<p>

"What the hell is going on Will?"

"The Cabal is attacking the Sanctuary, they have some kind of vampire like abnormals that can teleport."

"The E.M. shield-"

"Is up, it didn't stop them." Magnus interrupted.

"Shit." She said wide eyed.

"Yeah so bare with us." Will sighed and readied himself.

Magnus and Henry arrived last, their entry was preceded by shouts and gun fire.

Magnus backed into the infirmary followed by Henry in his werewolf form a second later. The doors slammed shut and locked.

"Status?" Magnus asked turning to them.

"Fine, you?" Will asked.

"Been better." Henry said shifting back to his usual form. He was buck naked, before he could freak out Bigfoot tossed him a robe.

"Ah thanks Big Guy." Henry said and slipped it on.

Before he could tie the belt there was a wet popping noise and six of the super abnormals were in the room. The Sanctuary team opened fire without waiting for the invaders to go hostile. They'd each seen what a vampire, even a mixed blood like Tesla, could do.

It was pointless, their weapons were useless, the invaders dodged or shrugged off every shot.

"Fuck." Will whispered as their shots fells silent at last. Then the supers moved. Henry shifted then charged them with the Big Guy charged slowing them down, it was less use than the weapons, the first abnormal knocked Henry across the room and into a bookshelf which disintegrated at his impact. The Big Guy fared worse he took a blow directly to the chest and was thrown into a wall. Will didn't even see the one that took him down.

* * *

><p>A metallic pinging noise, rhythmic and irritating as hell punctured his darkness. He opened his eyes then snapped them closed, pain stabbed his retinas. He opened them again more slowly. Something was moving in front of him, he blinked and refocused, handcuffs, a set of handcuffs dangling from a steel hospital bed rail.<p>

"Wha-" He croaked and sat up sending his head spinning again.

He groaned closed his eyes and pried them open again.

He managed to get to his feet without passing out. Ashley was gone, He could see Henry half covered with books and pieces of shelving, the Big Guy was collapsed against a wall and there was no sign of Magnus.

"Shit." Will groaned.

He took three steps before his legs turned to jelly and he hit the ground.

"Will?" It was Magnus' voice he rolled onto his back and looked up at her. The overhead light behind her head gave her a halo, he laughed, a hoarse wet chuckle.

"You're an angel." He muttered.

"You're concussed." She sighed and helped him to his feet and onto the hospital bed.

"Henry and B-"

"I'll take care of them, don't move." She said firmly. He realized as she moved away that she was limping heavily and clutching her rib cage.

"You're hurt." He said and slid off the bed.

She sighed but didn't order him to sit again. She checked Henry's pulse while will checked on Bigfoot.

"Henry's alive." Magnus said and began to remove debris from him.

"Yeah, the Big Guy's going strong too." Will said wincing as he knelt next to the enormous figure and tried to drag him to the main area.

"Uuuh god what his me." Henry groaned.

"A wall for starters." Magnus said kindly. Henry sat up grogilly and stared at Magnus.

"Hey, you're hurt." He said worriedly then realized he was naked, blushed crimson from head to toe and tried to hide among the books.

"Relax Henry it's nothing we haven't seen before." Will said.

"Ha ha hey, why aren't we dead?" Henry asked as he pulled his lean body from the rubble.

"Good question." Magnus sighed as she moved to help Will.

"'Cause last I remember was our guns doing absolutely nothing and then the earth jumped up and slapped me." Henry grunted as he kicked the last of the shelf free and got to his feet.

"Yeah I saw you go down and then I don't know what happened." Will agreed as he and Magnus freed the Big Guy.

"Let me help." Henry said and limped over. He'd managed to recover his robe from the wreckage of the room.

The three of them managed to maneuver their compatriot onto a bed and administer basic care. While Henry logged into the Sanctuary's computer system and did a systems and security check Magnus examined Will.

"Well you've certainly got a concussion, no sleep for twenty-four hours I'm afraid."

"Somehow I don't think that's going to happen, head injuries notwithstanding." Will sighed.

"Okay Security is intact and … they didn't take anything, I mean they took Ashley but that's it, they didn't even take data." Henry said frowning.

"Good now get over her so I can take a look at you."

"What about you doc? You look like you were worked over pretty good." Henry said in concern.

"I'm fine." She insisted. Henry frowned but limped to Magnus so she could look him over.

"Nothing too serious pulled muscles and bruises mostly. If you hadn't been in your HAP form it would have been much worse."

"Score one for the doggy side." Henry sighed looking at the Big Guy.

"He's just unconscious nothing serious." Magnus assured the men.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Will asked.

"I'm not sure, yet. Any thoughts Henry?"

"No not really, look that hack was beyond professional there were at least three high end hackers in on that."

"What about the super abnormals? Why didn't they just kill us?" Will asked.

"We weren't a threat to them so they didn't waste time killing us." Magnus said studying her computer screen.

"Makes a certain amount of sense."

"We need to figure out how to bring them down." Henry said looking away from his screen.

"I agree." Magnus said and began walking the room, she paused and stared at a smear of blood on the ground.

"Will can you get a sample of this? I'm afraid I can't really bend down."

He scooped up a smear of the blood on a swab and handed it to Magnus.

"Excellent, I'll run an analysis and see what we come up with, Henry see what you can trace about those hackers and Will, please contact the other Sanctuary houses they need to be warned."

"Back in the saddle." Will grunted and limped off to warn the other houses.

* * *

><p>After the bath he packed. He didn't have much in the apartment that he couldn't live without, well if he were being honest there was nothing he couldn't live without aside from his blade. He packed nonetheless then left a message for his landlord.<p>

He locked the door and left the key under the mat.

Paris was suddenly not a place he wanted to be.


	8. Recriminations

Druitt appeared in his doorway without a sound. Methos looked up at the looming figure; the last of the afternoon light caught him from behind, silhouetting him.

"Fuck. Off." Methos said icily and slung a duffel bag over his shoulder. Druitt remained where he was unmoving, head at an odd angle as though he were listening for something or catching his breath though Methos could not hear the other man breathing hard.

"John –"

"They came for her." Druitt said raggedly.

Methos closed his mouth and shifted the bag on his shoulder.

"It's not my problem John –"

Then John was there, in Methos' face, the air around them rippling with John's passage the scent of John thick and cloying in Methos' nostrils.

"They took her." John snarled and gripped Methos' lapels. As the immortal moved to break John's grasp they teleported.

Methos dropped to the ground and vomited clear liquid and bile until he was blinded by tears and his chest was on fire. He vaguely recognized the Sanctuary infirmary though it appeared that an angry elephant had suffered a tantrum since the immortal had last been there.

The immortal felt something sharp and cold at his neck and the nausea faded almost immediately. He looked up and saw Magnus holding a syringe, Methos looked around but didn't see John.

"He left." She sighed and helped Methos to his feet. She handed him a cloth to wipe his face Will spoke with Magnus quietly and left.

"You have no right –" Methos accused as he recovered.

"I didn't send him." Magnus said sharply, her face was etched with worry.

"Status?" Methos asked idly as he studied the wreckage and noted the still unconscious sasquatch.

"We're all battered but alive." Magnus said holding a hand to her side. She limped to the infirmary's computer and logged on. Methos followed her nostrils flaring as he approached her, he scented her sweat, the faint copper tang of blood, and fear.

"You're injured." He growled and took her hand away from her side. She winced and bit her lip. He saw blood smearing her fingers and darkening the cloth of her dress. He held her wrist and stared hard at her.

"What good will you do her if you bleed out?" He snapped. She flinched and looked angry. He released her wrist and began combing the wreckage. He unearthed a package of bandages and a few other odds and ends.

"Sit." He snapped as she moved back to the computer.

She froze and glared at him. He held her gaze and she slowly acquiesced.

He tore her dress down the seam to reveal her injury. As his strong long fingered hands set to work she fought back another memory of those hands on her body. The pain they created as they probed the injury aided her in that effort.

"I'm sorry, this is going to hurt." He said softly. She sucked in a sharp breath as he used his thumbs to check for broken ribs. Tears sprang to her eyes and she wondered if he were being thorough or cruel in his exam. Then it was over. She glanced down and saw he was unreeling cloth to bandage her rib cage.

"Wait." She said and started to remove her dress.

He froze and frowned at her.

"I don't want to telegraph an injury any more than I must, and I need new clothing anyway." She said stiffly.

He nodded slowly but turned away until she cleared her throat. She wore a bra and clutched her ruined dress at her waist. He quickly and efficiently wrapped her ribs, pausing to place gauze over the cut on her ribcage after using superglue to seal it, and tied the bandage off. Her dark curls framed her pale skin, bringing a luminescence to her blue eyes. He remembered the firelight on that long ago night and felt a sick shame waft over him. He could feel the heat in his cheeks as he turned away from her.

"Methos-"

"You should dress, time is critical." He said softly.

Her hand on his shoulder sent icy hot waves of grief tainted need rippling through him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so very very sorry, I didn't realize until it was too late…then Tesla-" Methos shrugged her hand away and glared at her over his shoulder.

"What do you want Magnus? Absolution? You have it, you're free, I forgive you but I won't…can't forget." He said bleakly.

"You mean that." She said softly voice almost awed. She raised a hand to touch his face he flinched nearly moved away from her touch but allowed it at the last moment. It was a gentle, sisterly touch, one of comfort and understanding.

"You never forget?" She asked quietly.

"Never." He confirmed feeling something loosen in his chest.

"Why do you care?" He asked and this time there was no anger or resentment behind the question.

She didn't answer, content to study him for a moment.

"You know my real name, what I've done, my past…why do you care about the past? Our past?"

"It isn't my place to judge the man you were thousands of years ago. I really only have a right to judge myself and the people I …influence. I won't judge you for the past but I will judge me for ours. I … I think maybe I could have stopped things before they went too far if I'd only taken the time to _see_ to think."

"Guilt?" He asked curiously.

She lowered her hand.

"Responsibility." She said taking a slow breath.

"Thank you, that's much better."

He nodded and moved toward the Big Guy.

"He should be fine in a few hours." Magnus said returning to the computer. She brought up a video chat.

"Henry?" Magnus called.

There was a pause and then the disheveled and slightly sweaty tech appeared on the video feed.

"Security is up and running again, nothing was disturbed."

"Did you find out what was copied during the initial incursion?"

"Yeah it's well it's information on you and uh Ben."

Magnus felt ice water fill her guts.

"What information?"

"Nothing huge, looks like most of it was kept off record, just that he was someone involved briefly with the Five way back when."

Magnus relaxed slightly.

"Good, keep me updated."

"Sure, uh mind if I ask where tall dark and stabby got to?"

"I don't know, he brought Ben back, against his will it seems, then teleported again." She killed the feed.

"You have information on me?" Methos asked carefully controlling his temper.

"No, nothing important at least." She sighed.

He took her arm in a rough grip and pulled her to face him.

"You. Have. Information. On. Me. On. File?" He asked his tone brittle.

She jerked her arm free and glared at him.

"My father kept notes on the Five. He knew we were unique even before the vampire blood. I didn't know about his notes until a few years ago. Henry scanned them into the database as part of a major digital backup project. I never removed the data because I _thought_ you were _dead_." She snarled.

He didn't relax but straightened and calmed.

"Never grab me again Methos." Magnus snapped.

"Are you afraid of me?" He asked wryly.

"Of course I respect your abilities and I know your history, only a fool would engage with you without caution." She said haughtily.

"Yes. But, are you _afraid_ of me?" He asked moving closer, close enough to feel the heat from her skin, smell the blood and sweat of her, the fain scent of lavender in her hair. Her lips quivered ever so slightly, eyes flicked between his hard hazel eyes, cheeks blushed as he moved even closer.

Then her hand was on his chest pushing him back.

He chuckled, a low, noxious, oily sound and moved away from her.

"You're unbelievable." She said venomously.

He sneered at her.

"We're in a crisis, a group of people intent on genocide has stolen my daughter, they have the last sample of pure vampire blood on the planet in their possession and you –"

"Would rather fuck you than do anything useful?" He snarled.

She paled and her jaw flexed.

"Please." He snorted coldly.

"Stop _acting_ you bloody bastard!" She roared.

His face went blank, his calculating eyes glittered in his still face as he squared his shoulders and faced her.

"You don't want me Magnus, you want what I am, my abilities and you've broken your promise." He accused.

"I didn't ask John –"

"But you didn't stop him either did you? I didn't hear you protesting when he _dragged_ me back here." He shot back furiously.

"There are more important things at stake than your pride and hurt feelings!"

"Not this time, not for _ me_."

"You're an abnormal too Methos!"

"No, no I'm not, not like you lot. You _chose_ to give up your humanity, most abnormals are born into their monstrous burdensome lives, but you, you chose it out of arrogance, out of misplaced confidence or scientific zeal, but you consciously decided to be other than human Magnus and yet you sit in judgment of all non-human sentient beings." He snarled back.

She squared her shoulders, cheeks red eyes bright.

"I made a decision when I was just a girl and I live with it every day." She said stiffly.

"Poor fucking you Magnus. You try being me, or Henry or _him_." He said jerking a thumb toward the slumbering sasquatch.

"Your gift is immortality only without any strings, you don't have to hunt and kill to earn the right to draw another breath-"

"And you can recover from any wound or injury that doesn't decapitate you." She hissed.

He licked his lips.

"I'm going to leave –"

"You don't know that their virus won't kill you and your kind too Methos."

"No, I don't, do I?" He said evenly and moved toward the door.

"What do you want? Money? Power? Ask and I'll get it for you." She said desperately.

He felt sick, a nausea that had nothing to do with teleportation. Had he driven her to this? To begging? What was he? He looked away from her, felt something harden into resolve in his chest and straightened.

"What do you need me to do?" He asked holding her eyes.


	9. Mole

He dreamed of bloodless corpses, accusing voices, clawing hands, and guilt, crushing and brutal weighing him down like concrete boots. He sat up, he was sitting in front of the computer eyes bleary and gritty with sweat and exhaustion. He thought about the dream but with a sense of dull resignation. Nightmares were nothing new, in fact they were blasé, the status quo.

Data tables scrolled across the screen. He tried to think of what he had been doing before falling asleep, his mind was sluggish and beleaguered. Methos hit enter and the data froze. He frowned at it and rubbed his face tiredly.

"Any luck?" Magnus asked entering the infirmary. He stared at her bleakly for a moment then mustered the energy for a smile.

"I don't suppose you know what the hell I was doing?" He suggested.

"You should get some rest –"

He held up a hand.

"I can take another stim shot if needed, do you?"

She stared at him.

"Recall?" He prompted.

"Yes, you were checking the keystroke logs for oddities."

"Ah, small wonder I fell asleep." He mused and hit Enter again, the screen filled with data again.

"Any luck?"

"No, apparently the scan is still running." He said and gestured at the screen. She sucked her lower lip in thought as she watched the data whip by.

Will entered looking at least as haggard as Methos. The mortal hadn't yet hit his twenty-four hour mark and was therefore denied sleep until Magnus was certain his concussion wouldn't worsen.

"Henry is bunking down for a couple hours; I caught him drooling into his keyboard twice in a half hour."

"Good you're next then." Magnus sighed.

"Yeah? What about you two?" Will challenged.

"I'll be fine." They said almost in unison.

"Tell you what, how about you take the next shift, then him and _then_ me." He suggested folding his arms.

"But-" Methos started to argue.

"Ah ah! Pretty sure I'm more awake than either of you right now and we need you both as sharp and awake as possible, if we find anything I'll wake you, you should hit the sack now I'll wake you in two hours." Will insisted.

Methos thought about arguing but he couldn't think of a good argument, realizing he was being stubborn for the sake of it he nodded, rose, and found a cot that was largely intact and half collapse on it. He started to stretch out but paused mid movement and was asleep.

"Thank you." Magnus sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sounds like you two had quite an argument earlier." Will said gently.

She looked at him with tired worried eyes.

"Clearing out old baggage." She said stiffly and moved to take Methos' seat at the computer.

"Magnus, you have to rest." He insisted.

"I know, and I will when I can." She said firmly.

Will looked frustrated.

"Look, I know you didn't get dragged halfway across the world and empty four days' worth of stomach contents on the carpet or get killed but you were banged up pretty good and you've been under enormous stress. For our sakes get at least a couple hours." He suggested.

She checked the time remaining on the scan of the keystroke database.

"Fine, this scan is slated to end in on hour and twelve minutes. When it's done come get me."

Will looked relieved.

"Promise you'll wake me Will."

Will held up his right hand in a boy scout salute and swore out loud he would.

"You were never a boy scout." Magnus said wryly.

"Well, no but the point stands." Will grinned. She waved a dismissive hand but he didn't move.

"Tick tock." He prompted with a wicked smirk.

Magnus rose stiffly and walked to her quarters, Will on her heels. She had to admit that few things had ever felt as wonderful as her bed just then.

Will watched her until he was certain she was asleep then he moved downstairs to Henry's work area. He looked around ensuring he was alone then bent over Henry's keyboard and entered several codes into the command line. He paused, looked up again, scanned the room then bent to the keyboard once more. He typed in a final command line then stepped away hitting enter as he moved. He made his way to the armory and selected a sidearm and an assault rifle before placing bricks of C-4 at structural points, wiring them together, and setting a timer. He walked upstairs and back to the infirmary. He frowned at the keystroke scan then shrugged and unplugged the computer. He pulled the hard drive and slipped it into a bag. Taking the bag and his weapons he went down to the garage and took Ashley's motorbike and a helmet. He rode the bike out of the garage area and sat on it near the main gates looking back at the Sanctuary. His eyes were blank as the dull crump of the armory explosion reached him. He lowered the visor on his helmet and rode away. The high whine of the bike's engine faded as it entered the cityscape. A dull tepid rain began to fall blanketing the city in gloom.

Magnus woke suddenly as the roar and vibration of the explosion in the armory trembled through the Sanctuary. She was on her feet in seconds and racing toward the source of the disturbance. Methos beat her to it.

Flames licked and lapped at the hallway outside the armory the immortal was using a hand held fire extinguisher to beat them back. Harry arrived on Magnus' heels with two more extinguishers. Magnus took one and they joined Methos.

"Where's Will?" Magnus shouted over the hiss of the extinguishers as the fire was finally put out.

Methos wiped at his sweaty face and glanced at Henry.

"He's gone." Henry said grimly.

"Gone?" She asked looking at Methos. The immortal didn't react. Magnus tossed the empty extinguisher aside and hurried to Henry's work area. She looked it over and didn't see anything obviously wrong though it was difficult to tell through the clutter, then she hurried up to the infirmary.

She saw the computer on its side, the case removed and hard drive missing immediately. She ran to her office and brought up the security feeds noting almost immediately that Ashley's motorcycle was gone and the front gate stood wide open.

"Will why?" She asked anguished.


	10. Allies

A promise. He'd done it all on the promise of a stranger. Will ignored the tears in his eyes told himself it was the wind, not shame, not guilt, certainly not fear that brought them forth stinging and half blinding him. He forced himself to slow down, if he wiped out on his friend's bike he would never be able to …

He shook his head slightly as though to clear it and concentrated on staying on the bike.

* * *

><p>Methos stared out at the waterlogged lawn of the Sanctuary. He could hear the big Sasquatch cleaning the mangled infirmary. He had offered to help but received a grunting growl in response and had wisely retreated. The Big Guy was not taking Will's apparent betrayal very well.<p>

Henry had retreated to his work area focusing on truly securing the Sanctuary's databases and grounds come hell or high water. Magnus hadn't given up hope that her protégé and daughter would return hale and healthy. At least not consciously.

Methos sighed and ran a hand over his tired face. He wasn't sure why he hadn't left yet. He couldn't really offer Magnus any solace or hope, Henry had chased him off just as the Big Guy had. In the end, he decided, he was waiting for Magnus to drive him off as well. Then he could turn his back on all of them and return to his own life, all debts paid.

Something crashed and shattered in the infirmary, Methos winced and carefully crept away before the Big Guy's wrath oozed out of the relative safety of the infirmary's carcass.

He let his feet go where they willed. He was weary beyond any state he could easily recall. More than a physical exhaustion, though that was present, and more than the pervasive persistent weariness of the world worn presented with more angles on the same sad story of life on this planet more than the sore footed traveler's weariness at the hard stares of strangers…

He shook his head, once, hard and straightened up. If he was waiting to be dismissed by Magnus then he ought to present himself to her. But he didn't.

He wandered the Sanctuary, feet padding nearly silently on the expensive carpet and hardwood floors, thoughts numb and circular, barely aware of his surroundings. He found himself standing outside the SHU.

"Lost?" Magnus asked.

He blinked and looked to his right. She was leaning against a wall, hipshot, blue eyes raccoon ringed with exhaustion.

"Maybe, you?" He asked, it wasn't a query regarding her physical location. Her stern face flickered and settled.

"No."

"Helen.."

"I am _not_ giving up on Ashley or Will."

Methos thought about the young man that had spoken with certainty of Methos' problems before Easter Island.

"No, I understand that. I just…"

"I'll be fine once I have Ashley back."

Methos shook his head slowly but didn't argue. He'd seen Ashley's eyes, the telepathy she and the others had used. The shell of the girl might be that of Ashley Magnus but Methos didn't think anything of Magnus and John's daughter had survived what had been done to her. Maybe a basic…program…a personality construct good enough to fool the Sanctuary group until she was inside security. Maybe.

"I…I think I should go." He said finally.

She looked at him, expression largely unchanged but a twitch of her lips indicating a world to him.

"It's not a betrayal Magnus! John kidnapped me! There's nothing I can do here anyway." He said angrily.

Magnus leaned away from the wall and turned her back on him. She took a shaking breath and turned back to him.

"Very well. You're right. I am sorry John violated your…peace." She said stiffly.

"Oh hell Magnus, tell me what I can do to help at all? Henry doesn't need me or want me meddling, none of us can find Will his trail went cold outside the city, the Big Guy nearly took my head off when I offered to help him clean up. Really now what good am I doing?"

"Very little as far as I can tell." Tesla said from the other end of the room. Methos whirled to face him immediately facing him hip on with feet planted and knees slightly bent, primed to flee or attack. The immortal's expression was blank and cold.

"My my you know I never really harped on the resemblance between your fop and our dear departed Watson but it really is uncanny." Tesla crooned approaching Magnus and Methos.

"How did you get in here?" Magnus demanded.

"Ask your boyfriend. I was minding my own business down in Cabo when fwoop away we went. I hear you have troubles darling." Tesla said taking Magnus hand and kissing it gallantly.

Methos didn't move, kept his eyes on Tesla.

"Oh you can relax I have little interest in you." Tesla sighed dramatically and snorted at Methos.

The immortal didn't move.

"Leave him alone Tesla." Magnus said sharply. Methos thought there was a hint of fear in her voice. Of Tesla? Methos? Fear of what Methos may do to Tesla?

"Do tell Magnus how _did_ you manage to keep your toy so healthsome and vigorous all these years? Holding out on us?" Tesla asked straightening his elegantly cut suit jacket.

"He's abnormal."

"I should say so, but enough chat, let us retire to the dining room." He said cheerfully and moved toward the exit. Methos remained still until Helen followed Tesla, then he was content to take the rear.

Tesla didn't move until they were in the main entrance area of the main Sanctuary building, then he lunged away from Magnus and flung an arm toward Methos. The immortal was a good ten feet away, he reached for his collapsible emergency blade (designed and gifted to him by a former student) the blade was useless for a prolonged battle of any kind but could buy precious seconds, but it wasn't needed. As Tesla's hand stretched toward Methos electricity manifested from the air and shot toward the immortal. Methos ground his teeth together as he consciously brought up his Quickening and concentrated on it. The electricity streaked toward him, fast as thought, it struck him for a moment then cut off and vanished.

Methos dropped to one knee his clothing smoking, as quickly as he'd brought up his Quickening the bolt of pseudo-lightning had moved nearly as fast as thought and a portion had made it past the shielding energy before the shield was solid enough to defend him.

Tesla made a strangled frustrated noise and brought up his free hand. Methos didn't waste time he strengthened the shield and got to his feet, he was reaching for the sword again when the bolt shot forth. This time it struck the surface of his energy shield, skittered along it like the electricity in a child's static electricity globe, purple, blue and white electricity sparking and snarling along it until it grounded and vanished. Methos drew the backup sword, flicked his wrist extending it to its full length and strode toward Tesla, murder in his eyes.

"NIKOLA!" Magnus roared and slugged the slim man knocking him on his ass and breaking his concentration. The electricity ceased to flow though Methos didn't slow his pace.

"Stop." Magnus hissed breathlessly at Methos as she stood over Tesla.

"No." Methos said quietly and kept walking, knuckles white on the handle of his sword.

"Methos –" Magnus started to plead.

Tesla reacted to the name face crumpling in confusion then fear as his eyes widened and settled on Methos.

"You-you're not… not really I mean –"

"Twice you have tried to kill me Nikola Tesla. You have failed both times due to your own ignorance and arrogance. Twice, there will _not_ be a third." Methos said raising his sword. The words, the rhythm, had an almost ancient sacredness to them, as though he swore a terrible oath and meant to seal it with Tesla's blood.

Suddenly there was a soft sound behind him and in a heartbeat an arm encircled his chest and throat pulling him against …against Druitt's chest. The familiar scent of the man filled Methos' nostrils, leather, sweat, soap and the sharp dry scent of John himself.

Methos went statue still and waited to see what would happen.

"Now now, when Ashley is safely in our custody you may murder Tesla my friend, until the, spare him." John rumbled.

Methos felt dizzy for a moment, overwhelmed by John's presence, by the post fatal encounter crash as the level of adrenaline in his system began to peter out and normalize but mostly it was John.

Methos' pink tongue slipped out and moistened his suddenly dry lips. Carefully he began to lower the sword, John in turn released him, as John's arm pulled free Methos spun, flung the blade so it embedded itself a quarter inch from Tesla's pale cheek. Methos took two steps and kicked the scientist in the belly hard enough to rupture something if the smaller man hadn't tensed for the blow. Methos left the SHU as the sword still wobbled in the floor and Tesla finally managed to make a wheezing agonized whisper of a cry.

Fury touched on what Methos felt but didn't come close to conveying the magnitude of it. His entire existence had been devoted to keeping his head on his shoulders. And Tesla…twice he had deliberately attempted to kill Methos. Twice.

He found himself in the tiny chapel on the outskirts of the Sanctuary grounds. He remembered being surprised to see it on his first tour, led by Will. He had assumed that Magnus' experiences and scientific dedication would have rendered her an atheist. Though, to be fair, he'd never seen her use it. Perhaps it came with the property or she built it out of nostalgia.

He sat in the first pew and closed his eyes.

Tesla had to die and soon. Once he could forgive though never forget, in Tesla's eyes he'd been a street whore, elevated above his station a rival for Magnus' affections and an insult. Methos could understand why Tesla had tried to kill him but twice and with no provocation…

Methos opened his eyes and rose to his feet. He began to pace before the cross too raw and full of soured adrenaline to sit peacefully. He heard steps outside the chapel and immediately regretted losing his sword. He froze and tensed ready, as always when presented with a stranger, to attack or flee.

It was Druitt.

"You son of a bitch!" Methos snarled and went for him. Druitt intercepted his clumsy attack, took Methos' wrists in his strong hands and guided them over the immortal's head, Methos snarled and drove his knee into Druitt's crotch, the abnormal let out a strangled gasp and dropped to his knees releasing Methos' hands. The immortal kicked John in the chest knocking him backwards then straddled his chest and began beating his face in, at least, he got in a half dozen blows and then John regained his wits and teleported away from the irate immortal.

Methos' fist smashed into the stone of the chapel floor, Methos felt the familiar sharp tearing pain of bones breaking. He got to his feet ignoring the agony radiating from the shattered hand up his wrist to his shoulder and cast about for a sign of John. He tasted blood in his mouth and wondered distantly if he'd bit his lip or some of John's blood from the murderer's battered face had splashed onto his face.

He left the chapel intent on beating John senseless or killing Tesla, perhaps both. He didn't feel the needle in his neck until the injection was complete, he turned on his heel and saw John, face bloodied holding the empty syringe as his vision grayed and his legs decided they didn't work. John caught him as he fell.

"I am sorry old friend." John said his voice rendered oddly nasal by his swollen and likely broken nose. Methos succumbed to the drug before he could reply.

John stared at the limp immortal. His clothing was spattered with John's blood, John didn't mind he'd more than earned the beating though he'd be pissing blood for a fortnight and he wasn't sure his nose would heal right. He scooped the immortal into his arms and took him back into the chapel. He laid him on the clean cool floor in front of the altar and then sat in the first pew and waited for him to wake up. John tried to ignore the throbbing in his groin and face.

Methos woke moments later, John hadn't intended for him to be out for hours, they didn't have that kind of time. The immortal sat up slowly, he felt groggy and unsettled.

"You drugged me." He slurred.

"You were trying to mangle me and kill Tesla, of course I drugged you. Though, to be fair, if you hadn't been so angry I wouldn't have been able to get close enough to do it."

"Tesla dies."

John held his hands up defensively.

"Very well, if you insist, though Helen won't appreciate it. After, Ashley has been recovered I have no objection to your killing him."

Methos licked his lips, tasted blood and sweat.

"When this is done, you leave me alone, _both_ of you. If you want my help make a phone call, write a bloody email."

John nodded and waited.

Methos slowly got to his feet and staggered over to the pew. He sat next to John.

"That'll need to be seen to soon." Methos sighed studying John's misshapen nose.

"You're thorough when you're angry." Druitt rumbled, the high nasal note of his words rendered comical in contrast to his deep voice.

Methos smirked then twisted to face Druitt, he placed his cool hands on John's warm, swelling face for a moment studying the nose then gripped it and wrenched, earning a cry from John. When the pain inspired tears cleared from John's sight he could breath – although with difficulty – through his nose.

"Ouch." He growled and noted the nasal timbre of his voice was gone.

"You're not bloody welcome John. I mean it, learn to knock like a civilized human being no more kidnapping –" John kissed him.

Lips smeared with John's blood, the copper salt tang of mortality, all tongues, and heat and moisture and pressure. Methos hesitated, surprised at first then thought, quite clearly, _fuck it what have I got to lose?_ and returned the kiss with fervor.

John's hands on his chest, pulling at his ruined bloodied clothing, his own hands under Druitt's coat tugging the big man's shirt free from his slacks.

The kiss broke, both pulling in heated breaths, faces inches apart.

"This is madness." John breathed, Methos replied with another kiss, all teeth and need.


	11. A Certain Understanding

Magnus got Tesla to his unsteady feet and assisted him out of the SHU to her lab – the infirmary was still unusable and occupied by the agonizing sasquatch.

"I ought to throw you on your ass or let him have you." She said icily as she looked him over.

He looked wan and was unable to fully straighten.

"You're bloody lucky to be alive." She growled.

He cleared his throat wincing as she pressed a hand to his lower belly.

"To be fair I didn't realize his full nature." He said stiffly.

"Why would you attack him in the first place? He is my guest and my friend – "

"No, Methos has no friends Helen. Do you know what he is?"

"I am familiar with both his species and his past."

Nikola guffawed then bit his lip as the outburst sent fresh pain radiating through him.

"Then you know he's quite a monster, I wonder Helen, is that what draws you to them?" He asked wrlyly.

She slapped him, hard, and fast across his pale cheek. A livid imprint of her hand showed up almost immediately. He blinked at her.

"Pull your head out of your ass Nikola, he is going to kill you. John may be able to convince him to hold off until we've recovered Ashley, _if_ he's lucky." She paused and took a deep breath, "but that is more than you deserve, I suggest you make yourself extremely useful and extremely scarce when Methos is near."

He glared at her.

"You've only yourself to blame." John rumbled.

The two were sprawled before the altar a tangle of pale limbs and scattered clothing.

"Next time don't nearly get me killed." Methos growled and sat up reaching for his discarded pants and shirt.

"Yes well, lesson learned." John sighed.

Methos chuckled and kissed the bigger man on the cheek then slithered away from him, standing and stretching with familiar feline grace and dressing quickly.

"Cold?" John asked with a smirk.

Methos snorted at him.

"It's only a matter of time before Magnus or Henry come looking for us. Do you _want_ that audience?"

John poked his lips out in a mock pout.

"Well you should have said so…I know this place –"

John laughed and painfully tried to rise.

Dressed now Methos helped him up and retrieved his clothing, the immortal didn't regret battering the bigger man but he had to admit a fully functional Druitt would, at the very least, have been more fun.

"Get cleaned up, I'll go see Magnus, make nice." Methos sighed.

Druitt flicked a lock of errant hair out of the immortal's face.

"Be good we have more important things than Tesla's ego at hand."

"I'll behave but as soon as your daughter's fate is determined his head is mine."

"As you wish." Druitt sighed in the same tone a weary parent might use when acquiescing to an impatient child's pestering.

Methos smiled a Cheshire cat smile of satisfaction and moved to leave the chapel.

"Methos?" John called.

Methos turned and faced John, walking backwards toward the exit.

"Change your shirt." John suggested.

"You are to stay in your quarters Tesla, I make no promise regarding your safety should you choose to leave without an escort." Helen snapped as she opened the door to one of the Sanctuary's more opulent suites.

Tesla sighed dramatically but didn't argue, that alone told Magnus just how frightened the little scientist had become.

"You've bitten off too much this time." She sighed.

He grinned at her and brought his vampire nature to the fore.

"We'll see." He said through the jutting needle knives of his vampire teeth.

Magnus closed the door and locked it behind her.

Methos found her seconds later. He looked…refreshed. He'd showered and changed which she assumed must be part of it but there was more.

"I beat John's face in." Methos said by way of greeting. Magnus blanched and went still.

"It's fine, he doesn't mind." Methos said looking past her and down the hall.

"Is he down there?" He asked sharply.

"Tesla is not to be harmed in my custody." She said sharply.

Methos looked at her sidelong, changeling eyes dark and unreadable in the dim light of the hallway.

"Promise me."

"No." He said venomously.

"Methos-"

"Magnus on this you don't win. You and your lover kidnapped me, forced me into this, you've violated your own oath – by omission if nothing else – I understand why, I do, but this? No, I do not brook this. I do not…owe this. He dies by my hand when _I _ decide."

She was quiet. Pale.

"Are you going to kill him now?" She asked evenly. She would try to stop him, whether he tried now or in the future.

"No." Methos said without hesitation.

Magnus sagged slightly in relief.

"_I_ choose when, _I_ choose how." He said and turned to retreat back the way he'd come.

Magnus watched him go silently.

Henry, oblivious to the drama of the past two or three hours nearly leapt out of his skin when Methos crashed into his work area. The werewolf glared at Methos and picked up the pliers he'd dropped.

"Give me something to do." Methos sighed.

"Uh wh-yeah okay fine. Uh." Henry muttered casting semi-frantic glances around the room. His gaze settled on a shattered server rack.

"Uh see if you can get that cleaned up and put together."

Methos followed Henry's line of sight and pursed his lips speculatively, then nodded and walked over to it, Henry bent to his work the immortal already forgotten.

John limped up to the main building body throbbing from injury and fading pleasure. His eyes were hooded with thought. He could have teleported but felt the need to keep his battered frame moving. He kept his life via his manipulation of blood samples from Magnus, but, for all of that, he was a very old and very mortal man in truth. If he hadn't teleported when he had John was fairly certain the immortal would have killed him, so raw and pure was the slim man's rage at Tesla's actions and John's inadvertent involvement.

He licked his lips and glanced up at the setting sun, a dull cold ache radiated from his bruised testicles sighing he let out a grating groan and got moving again.

Will turned off the bike, back aching from crouching over the fuel tank for the last four hours. He stretched and carefully dismounted the expensive machine, he slipped the helmet off and tucked it under his left arm, surprised at the cold bite of wind on his sweaty face.

He reached into his jacket and slipped out a simple cell phone. The screen blinked indicating a new text message.

"Enter." It read. Will sighed heavily and looked up at the view before him. An empty yawing cave mouth, old cedars and thick undergrowth crowded it's open mouth like drool from an idiot's slack jaws. He felt a balls deep apprehension about that cave, not to mention the lack of lights and tools on the bike.

"No way back now." He whispered hoarsely and started forward.

A few feet into the cave Will heard a phone ringing, the sort of cheap MIDI ring saddled on cheap pre-paid cellphones. It was a familiar song though he couldn't name it. He cast about following the obnoxious singing tone until he spotted it.

"Under Me." The phone blinked. Will held the phone in his free hand and scuffed a boot across the thin soil where it had lain. The gesture revealed a dark gray square, he knelt and tugged a glove from his right hand and touched the square, it was metal, frowning he set about uncovering it and pulling it free of the soil.

It was a steel box. Will carefully opened it and revealed a map and a folded note. He sighed and glanced around hoping for a clue. All he could really tell was that the cave hadn't been disturbed in days. Stale faded footprints lead to the site of the box and then back out of the cave.

Will unfolded the map first and too his time reading it. The map was new, fresh out of the package with clean sharp edges and corners. It depicted the surrounding area including the area further up the small mountain chain. A two mile section had been circled.

The forgotten phone buzzed against his palm startling him. He dropped it and it hit the thin light soil hard enough to partially bury itself.

He retrieved the phone.

Follow.

It suggested. He scowled at it, but tucked it and the map and note into his coat. The note looked like GPS coordinates though he wasn't sure where. He stepped out of the cave back into the light and glared around at the immediate area.

"You promised to give her to me! This isn't part of the deal!" He folded his arms and sat on a mouldering log near the cave entrance.

Methos fell asleep in the midst of rewiring a surge protector. Henry left him sleeping unwilling to bother him, instead he slipped out and called Magnus. Helen arrived and carefully woke him.

"You're going to end up electrocuting yourself if you keep doing this." She chided.

"Been there done that." He murmured rising sleepily.

"There's an empty room down the hall, second door on the right." She said softly. He nodded blearily and picked his way through the room to the hallway. Henry lurked near the door. Methos paused and looked at him then kept moving. Henry sighed in relief and moved to get back to work.

"No, get some sleep, we'll all rest, John can stand watch –"

"Seriously? You want me to catch some shut eye while _Jack the Ripper_ holds down the fort?"

"Yes I do." She said simply. Henry scowled but didn't argue.

In the end the house slept while John kept an eye on the security feeds and made some calls.

"Yes…Cabal, new operatives, very dangerous." John sighed into the cell phone at his ear.

"The reward is considerable but time is critical. Very well." He hung up and studied the phone for a moment.

"No luck." It wasn't a question, Methos' words cut through the still air like a finely honed knife edge.

John looked up at him warily. Methos smiled openly and sat next to John in an empty chair.

"Are you certain this is the best path for you?" He asked lightly.

John hesitated before answering animal bright eyes studying Methos.

"It is the only path I choose to walk."

"No answer." Methos sighed.

"You're going to kill him."

"Of course."

"When?"

"When I like."

"She'll try to stop you."

Methos nodded thoughtfully.

"You should rest." Methos said after the passage of an amiable section of time and quietude.

"No, not yet." John said mildly.

"Your injuries?"

"Healing."

Methos closed his eyes, dozed lightly listening to John's breathing, the creak of his leather coat as he retrieved his phone, the low rumble of his voice sometimes edged with threats or anger, other times cool calculating.

Dreams crept toward him, he could feel the dark import of them pressing against him and then his eyes snapped open banishing them and bringing the Sanctuary sharply into focus once again. John was staring at Methos sightlessly, brooding and thinking.

Methos frowned at the other man's swollen and purpled face. Judging by the bruises they would fade to an ugly green-yellow before vanishing altogether. He wondered if he would have killed John had the other man not teleported before losing consciousness. He shook the thought away, he had, in fact, killed the things…the people he loved before would likely do so again in future but not this time.

"It doesn't make sense." John said suddenly. Methos raised an eyebrow uncertain if John were addressing him specifically or simply musing aloud, perhaps both.

"The Cabal are a secret organization but like any large group of people they need basic supplies, food, water, sewage treatment so on. Yet they're ... hidden."

Methos remained alert but quiet content to allow John to reach his point on his own.

"I've investigated every crumb, every hint of a clue run down every lead, bashed skulls, broken spines and cut throats for answers." He growled.

"How are they that well hidden? There is no …core that I can discover."

Methos had a thought but kept quiet lest he derail Druitt.

"The boogeyman…" John murmured then cast his dark eyes on Methos. _One plus one equals two_ Methos thought not wavering under John's dark knowing gaze.

"I don't think they're nearly the force they've pretended to." John said with a small satisfied smile. Methos agreed though kept quiet and still.

"It's a front, a spook story and behind it…" He trailed off looking thoughtful and fierce. For a moment Methos loved him, a dark savage love more ownership than partnership. Then the moment passed the immortal blinked and John looked at him with a small satisfied smile.

"Shall we hunt?"


	12. Progress

They never moved to involve Magnus, they both knew that what they were going to do would require bloodshed, neither wished to ask Magnus to make the choices they were all too familiar with. To kill, to maim, to torture and murder for the satisfaction of your own desires…a path impossible to retreat form once the first steps had been taken. A path they would work to deny her.

So they left that moment without a word or a sign to any other in the Sanctuary. Only Henry's security system recorded snatches of their conversation and their departure but it would be hours before anyone thought to check it and by then…well, by then certain things would have been decided already.

They arrived in a forest. Methos staggered slightly and prepared himself for the inevitable crippling nausea. It didn't come, he quirked an eyebrow at Druitt.

"We haven't gone far." John growled. He seemed pale underneath the bruises and swelling. Methos wondered again how badly he'd damaged the killer.

"What now?" Methos asked. John still held him close as they'd embraced for the teleport, Methos made no move to pull away.

"Will is near."

Methos barked a sharp sardonic laugh and shook his head.

"Helen would be rather cross with you just now."

"She almost always is." John agreed, Methos slipped an arm around him, supporting him.

"Which way?" He whispered urgently.

John reached into his coat and retrieved a GPS.

"North."

"You're tracking him?"

"I track everyone."

Methos frowned at him.

"Don't worry you're…clean." John said archly. Methos kept his frown in place and assisted John as they began to move North at a crawl. After a painful hour had passed with little progress John cleared his throat and Methos paused.

"Go on ahead."

"We'll be separated."

"He's not far, a cave, three miles, maybe four, if you hurry you can be back in an hour."

Methos studied John's face, noted the lines of pain and effort then nodded.

"Very well." He lit out like a startled deer all long limbs and grace. John watched him go and felt a strange commingling of envy and awe stir in his gut.

Methos was nearly full focused on movement concentration consumed by it but a portion scanned for signs of the cave, of Will or his transportation. The dull stale scent of exhaust drew his attention first. He slipped through two close growing cedars and leapt down a slight rise, landing with the grace and strength of a hunting cat. He half crouched sniffing the air and sensing the prevailing wind.

He would never be able to keep up with a wild animal but he was more than a match for any human. Catching the strength of the scent again he set off with long loping strides economizing energy and speed the wind shifted and he settled into a crouch again. This time it was the glint of dulled sunlight on gleaming metal that drew him. He moved slowly now, silently.

He saw a figure curled up in the shadow of the bike. He frowned and crept closer. There was indeed a cave. The figure Methos decided must be Will. He looked haggard, had a day or more growth of beard. It looked odd and heavy on his otherwise youthful face, the shrink didn't seem like a hirsute man but the beard indicated otherwise.

The immortal slipped out of the woods, boots soundless on the loam and needles of the forest floor Will seemed to be sleeping the bike glistened with a morning's worth of dew not burned away by the early afternoon sunlight just yet. The young man wore only jeans, boots, and a leather jacket. Methos crouched within two feet of him and reached for the younger man's throat intending to check his pulse.

As Methos' warm hand pressed to the cool skin of Will's neck the young man woke and rose with a cry. He scuttled away from Methos eyes wide with shock and fetched up against the bike smacking his head against the gas tank and rocking the bike on its stand nearly sending it onto its side.

He froze staring at Methos.

"You?" He asked eyes still wide.

"I thought you were dead." Methos said simply still half crouched one hand pressed to the loam for balance the other still reaching toward Will.

"Dead? I ..no what- what da-time is it?" Will stammered still waking up.

Methos cocked his head offered a hand to Will.

"Magnus thinks you betrayed her."

Will looked sick.

"I… they contacted me, said they would return Ashley if …" He shook his head suddenly avoiding Methos' eyes.

"I didn't know what else to do it seemed…it seemed worth a shot." He finished lamely cheeks coloring.

Methos shrugged.

"Pretty sure Druitt set you up. Come on." He said and moved back to the woods.

Will flinched looked at Methos and the woods beyond then started to walk.

Methos made a token effort to keep Will in sight and on the right path but truthfully he was more concerned with Druitt, alone and weak in the woods. He spotted the big man leaning against an evergreen with his back to them. Methos slipped up behind him hoping to surprise him but John teleported behind him, inches away from him, close enough for his breath to tickle the back of Methos' neck. Methos twisted to face him eyes glittering, skin dusky and flushed with the effort of his journey.

Then Will appeared and the moment was lost.

John took Methos' wrist and snagged Will by the collar of his coat then they were gone. In their wake a sleepy owl, disturbed by their invasion of her territory blinked sleepily then fluffed her feathers and returned to sleep.

"What's going on?" Will demanded as they arrived in an empty warehouse in Old Town

"Yours?" Methos asked. John shrugged.

"I find it useful to have locations that are guaranteed to be empty."

Methos nodded appreciatively.

"What the hell –"

"We have a plan." Methos interrupted.

"I don't care about your plan what the fuck is going on?" Will snarled.

Methos smirked and glanced at John. It wasn't that he was enjoying toying with Will, not precisely, more that proximity to John's darkness, satisfaction in John's body and being drew something dark from within him as well. If he'd enjoyed a stronger more equal relationship with Will prior to their current situation he may have been able or interested in curtailing his pettiness. As it was he simply couldn't be bothered.

"I sent you the messages." John growled with a neutral stare.

Will colored with anger.

"I had to get you out of the Sanctuary test you in order to use you."

"Use me? I'm not a tool Druitt you don't get to –"

"Don't I? She's my flesh and blood and your friend, don't you want her safe?"

Will opened his mouth to argue, shout, accuse something but Methos spoke first.

"It is done. What can be done to repair it will be. First we have work."

"Who beat your face in?" Will demanded changing tactics and ignoring Methos.

John was silent as was Methos.

"I did." Methos said finally a weird pride and satisfaction in his voice. Will looked horrified and confused. He'd picked up on something between the men but the horrible visage of John's rearranged face shifted Will's perception reset the datasets.

"Long story." Methos said with what was almost a smile.

Will felt sick and confused he didn't trust either of these men but wasn't certain he could return to the Sanctuary _(home) _either.

John moved toward the exit with Methos on his heels, Will hesitated then jogged to catch up. He really wasn't sure what else he could do.

"Do we have a plan?" Methos asked mildly as the trio emerged onto a crowded sidewalk in the international section of Old Town.

"More or less."

"Let's hope it's more then." Methos sighed. Will was consumed with keeping up, his night in the woods had left him hungry, weak, and exhausted. Methos didn't mind, he didn't want that man's eyes too sharp when he was around Druitt.

"I know a man, he owes me a favor."

"Human trafficking?"

John shrugged.

"Prostitution isn't the only ancient business venture thriving through the ages."

For a moment Methos thought about mentioning his several lifetimes spent as a slave but dismissed it almost immediately. If John was capable of forgetting Methos' great age and with it his actual or potential past then so be it. He didn't want to be reminded of who he was every time he looked into John's face.

Magnus studied the security feed of Tesla in his quarters. He was lying on the king sized bed with a bottle of wine apparently asleep. Methos could have killed him, part of her wished he had, it would simplify her life a great deal. But then, she'd known Tesla for so long that he was, bizarrely, basically family at this point. She frowned and turned away from the footage.

"Henry have you seen Methos or John?" She asked over the radio.

"Not since you kicked the skinny dangerous guy out of here." Henry replied.

"I see, thank you." She said already scanning the security feeds. They were gone. She ran back through until she spotted John and Methos together there was no audio but she could do a rough job reading lips.

She skipped ahead to just before they vanished in a cloud of disrupted matter and rewound the footage a few seconds.

She watched the conversation from Methos' perspective frowning. Then she noticed an old computer monitor over Methos' shoulder, it reflected John's face though the image was distorted.

"Henry I need your assistance with a video file."

"On my way doc." Henry replied smartly.

It took Henry two hours to capture, enlarge, clarify, and interpret the image. While they waited he ran the same interpretation software on the footage of Methos.

"He's not saying much Doc seems to be waiting on Druitt." Henry grunted skimming through the video.

"Can you print a transcript?"

"Yeah no problem." He hit a few keystrokes and a printer nearby whirred to life and shot out a sheaf of papers. Magnus picked them p and paged through them, there was little there, mostly replies to John and then she got to the end, to Methos asking, "Shall we hunt?"

"Henry , how certain are you that this is accurate?"

"For Methos part? Like 80-90%." He said still studying the screen in front of him.

She stared at the transcript's last line.

"Is there any way you can speed the process up?"

"Maybe but it won't be as accurate."

"Do it." She said and left the room for the remnants of the armory. She chewed her lower lip and tried to work through what the men in her life were out accomplishing. Ideally the recovery of her daughter but how? Hunting…what?

"You have a lead?" Methos asked mildly as the trio left an all-night Dim Sum café.

"Enough of one. The boy?"

"He'll be fine, remember the Island." Methos said confidently. Will looked better for a hot meal but he was still three steps behind and generally pissed off and resentful. Still he'd been useful on Easter Island and had few options to get back into the Sanctuary.

"Magnus!" Henry said breathlessly as he entered the infirmary, the mess had been cleaned up and most of the equipment replaced or removed. She was doing an inventory of supplies on hand mostly due to a lack of anything else pressing to take care of.

"It's the Cabal." He said and paused to catch his breath.

Method dropped to his knees and was immediately ill. Will helped him to his feet afterwards while John kept watch. They were on a pier, the harbor looked familiar to Will.

"Where are we?"

"The East Coast of the United States." John said distractedly.

He was staring away from the gently sloshing water of the bay? Harbor? Toward a storage container holding yard.

"This way, quickly, quietly." John said sharply.

Methos found that, oddly, he was enjoying himself. He had no idea what they were doing, where they were, or who they were going to encounter, he could walk face first into a hyper deadly abnormal at any moment but…he didn't care. With John at his side escape was a heartbeat away.

They approached the fence guarding the shipping containers, John paused and looked at a fairly large empty area on the other side of the fence for a few seconds and then they were standing in the middle of it. Methos cocked his head and took a deep breath, he tasted salt, tar, steel, exhaust, damp concrete, and…something else, something new. He glanced at John, John grinned and Methos felt a thrill run down his spine. Will looked tense and frightened as he noted the exchange between the two.

"Now, we wait."

"What's that smell?" Methos asked.

"Is it familiar?" John asked curiously.

Methos thought about it, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding it in his lungs and slowly letting it out.

"Yes." He admitted, he wasn't sure what it was but it reminded him of…the desert.

"Do you know what it is?" John asked.

Methos shook his head and breathed it in again.

"Desert wind, horses, sweat…camels…blood…" He murmured eyes closed.

John was grinning at Methos, Will felt an overwhelming sense of the surreal. What the hell was he doing there?

"What is it?"

"A particularly rare mineral used as a spice and a hallucinogen by certain abnormals, a desert variety."

Methos nodded. He knew it now or thought he did, the scent was distinct it coated the tongue but was acrid and bitter along with the exotic undertaste. The Horseman had stolen a cargo of it once and had to abandon it when no buyer could be found.

"They're here?"

"No, but the man carrying the cargo deals with the Cabal, he specializes in fulfilling their more exotic orders."

"Why are we waiting?" Will asked finally breaking his silence.

"Well we've got captain kill on one hand and a teleporting Jack the Ripper on the other, seems to me that waiting is an indulgence." Will challenged and hated himself for it.

"Because he isn't here and we don't know where he is, what we do know is that he will be here in less than an hour." John said evenly.

Will sighed and examined the area. The sour metallic spice stink of the strange mineral filled the air now that it had been brought to his attention. He studied the markings on the cargo containers, the skyline visible on the opposite shore of the bay or harbor, the stars above them, the layout of the nearby parking area, everything he could and he analyzed as he observed. After half an hour he was confident they were in or very near Baltimore.

They were crouched in the shadows between two tiers of cargo containers. The sound of a group of people walking and talking, laughing drifted toward them.

"Is this man, your contact, human?"

"No but I can handle him." John said dismissively. Methos shifted his weight and wished again that he'd kept his backup sword.

The group appeared, four men, two human two some kind of lizard-like humanoids. They all looked strong.

"Ready?" John murmured.

Methos nodded and John put a hand on his shoulder and they were gone. Will moved to a better vantage point and spotted the quartet as Methos and Druitt attacked them. It was over quickly, broken bones and blood, pain and fear and a sick dark lust running like electricity between the men. Will felt fear, hot and dark fill his chest and settle in his bowels. Druitt was a monster sure enough and going on what Magnus had provided so was Methos, or at least he had been. Will saw two outcomes to this unholy alliance Methos providing a suitable distraction for John or the worst case scenario would be a synergy between the two resulting in new depths of depravity and heights of horror.

Will rose and quietly strode to the duo of destroyers. They were breathing hard and intent on the persons sprawled around them. All were incapacitated but not unconscious.

John picked up one of the lizard men by the front of his coat.

"The Cabal, where are they?" John asked quietly. The lizard flicked a snake like tongue at him and laughed a rasping harsh noise.

Methos watched impassively. The lizard's scales were a dusky orange like sunset on sand.

"Now, that's no way to treat me Taskor, I've come all this way just to have a conversation with you." John whispered and reached into his coat. He drew out a glitteringly sharp knife that fit his hand like a glove and pressed the balde to Taskor's scaly neck.

"Shall we try this again?"

Taskor jerked away from John but he may as well have been tugging against steel restraints for all the effect it had.

John pressed the blade to the abnormals scales until red blood welled up and stained the blade.

"They have my daughter Taskor, ponder that."

"Mammals, so attached to your offspring, it's pathetic."

Methos knelt and hauled the other lizard to its feet, it had a shattered knee and two broken ribs.

"Is that so? See, I have to wonder what a species like yours would be doing on the east coast of the United States, what with its toasty hot dry weather and all. See, the way I see it is this one must be your protégé, right hand…lizard, or maybe, just maybe, your heir?" Methos asked and wrenched the lizard's arm behind its back. Its scales were somewhat darker than Taskor's, it was smaller and leaner as well.

The lizard let out a burbling hiss of pain and fear. Taskor went very still and flicked his tongue out.

"This is about family Taskor, where is the Cabal?"

"New York." Taskor hissed and clacked his jaws. Methos looked to John who looked to Will.

"I doubt he's lying but I can't be certain." Will admitted.

Methos slipped an arm around the lizard's neck and gripped its jaw in preparation to snap its neck.

"New York!" Taskor snarled again. John released him allowing him to hit the concrete. Methos took the time to set the younger lizard on the concrete. Will was encouraged by that. He still needed to know why Methos had assaulted John and what the hell was going on between them. Just sex? A relationship? He couldn't proceed without knowing.

John hauled Methos toward Will and teleported a moment after clasping Will's shoulder in one broad blood spattered hand. They arrived at the Sanctuary.

Helen was standing in front of them jaw slack eyes wide a sidearm in hand and Henry and the Big Guy behind her.

"Honey, we're home." John growled.


	13. And Then

"New York? You're certain?"

"As we can be but Magnus this is the Cabal we're talking about –" Will warned.

"How soon can you all be ready?" She asked looking at Methos, John, Will, Tesla and Biggie.

"Two hours." Tesla said the rest nodded.

"Good two hours then." Magnus said fiercly.

Methos watched her leave the foyer and the others disperse. He followed Will.

"Taskor may've lied?"

"Yeah but I doubt it."

Methos was quiet as he walked along side Will.

"Look, no offense but don't you have something to like sharpen or pack?" Will asked sharply.

"I pack lightly." Methos said mildly watching a ripple of angry tension crawl through Will.

"Look –"

"You're upset because she's being reckless." Methos said smoothly interrupting Will.

Will scowled at him.

"Live long enough and you become a profiler by default."

"Right. Yeah she's… I've never seen her like this." Will trailed off chewing his lower lip slightly.

"Because her daughter has never been in danger like this." Methos sighed.

"I…I don't think…Ashley-"

"She's very likely dead or as good as." Methos said softly. Will flinched and clenched his fists but didn't argue.

"I'm going on this …mission…Will, but not for Ashley, I'm going to keep them alive."

"Magnus and Druitt."

"And you and your sasquatch friend if I can."

"Tesla?" Will asked shrewdly.

Methos gave Will a hard look.

"Look, I know he's a pain in the ass he's nearly gotten me killed –"

"Of those occasions how many of them were deliberate attempts to end your life?" Methos said sharply.

Will closed his mouth and frowned at the immortal.

"How did he know you?"

"Know me?"

"Magnus told me how he reacted when she said your…uh real name."

Methos was quiet as they wound through the lower level toward Will's quarters.

"I don't know, honestly. I've worked very hard to be a myth, laid false trails for as long as I can remember being important in some immortal's minds."

"So do you want to kill Tesla because he's an arrogant son of a bitch who has tried – and failed – to kill you or because he knows you?"

"He thinks he knows _of_ me Will big difference."

"You built the myth?"

"Yeah sorta. I mean, bits and pieces were already out there I just…embellished." He thought about his time as a Watcher in charge of finding himself and smiled faintly.

"But some of its true?"

"More than some."

Will considered that.

"If you want to kill Tesla none of us can stop you." Will said finally as they reached his door.

"Druitt."

"Maybe."

Methos left Will at his door and went walking. He didn't choose a path just felt content to wander, certain that when the time came he would rejoin the others. He supposed it was only natural that he should find himself in front of the chapel.

The sun was growing faint, nearing sunset, long greedy shadows crawled over the lawn. He stood there looking up at the venerable façade until the shadows joined into darkness and twilight filled the sky.

"I thought you would be here." Druitt rumbled. Methos smiled soft and warm and turned to face Druitt. The big man looked troubled and sad.

"John."

"We should return to the others."

"John, please we both know what we're likely to find." Methos said gently.

Druitt's face clouded and he took one short step to Methos and wrapped a powerful fist around the immortal's throat.

"We don't know _anything_." Druitt snarled. Methos leaned into the grip, thrust his jaw forward.

"Yes you do John, she's been in their hands for _weeks_ if she's still alive she's not going to be the girl you knew, or did you know her?"

Druitt snarled an inhuman sound and flung Methos away from him. The immortal stumbled and fell to the damp grass.

"It's true John, you never knew her, you used her, put her in jeopardy to save your own life!"

John advanced on the immortal murder in his eyes.

"You can't make up for that now John so don't go rushing in thinking you're going to be her hero, she has every right to hate you!"

"And what of you? Your hands are black with innocent blood." John accused.

Methos laughed, a full throated rich sound, "Yes they are but I don't lie to myself or try to make amends, some things can't be undone. If we find her and she's alive then you might be able to make something between you but don't delude yourself into thinking there's something already there."

"You don't know her!"

"Neither do you." Methos said venomously.

John was standing over him fists clenched.

"I care about you John I want you to survive this but if you do and she shuts you out … she doesn't owe you anything."

Druitt slowly relaxed and looked down at his lover with contempt.

"I know she doesn't owe me anything, I've done terrible things, I am a… I just want her safe, I want to make them pay." He looked away, jaw flexing and voice choking.

Methos rose to his elbows, "I know John and I'll help you." He said wearily. Druitt reached down and took Methos' hand.

"Good." He said pulling him to his feet – and teleporting to the foyer. Still propelled by the momentum of John's pull Methos stumbled and fell against the bigger man who caught him.

"How touching." Tesla sneered.

Methos straightened and looked over at Tesla, his expression one of cool calculation. The slim man licked his lips and smiled weakly at the immortal.

Magnus arrived with the Big Guy at her heels she glanced over the collected group and nodded at John. Without a word the big man grabbed Will and Methos and teleported.

"Uh, Doc we got a problem." Henry's voice crackled over Magnus' radio. She slipped it off her belt and hit transmit.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh well it's not really wrong –"

"Henry."

"Open the front door." His voice sounded metallic and whiny over the radio. Magnus frowned and moved to the front door while Tesla and the Big Guy readied for trouble.

She pulled the door open and let out a sound of ultimate relief.

Ashley Magnus was standing on the porch.

"Ashley?" Magnus asked.

"Mom." The young woman cried and hugged her stoic mother hard enough to half strangle the older woman.

John reappeared in a cloud of disturbed air and turned to take Magnus next. He saw the two women in the doorway. His face twisted into a pure expression of joy and relief, Tesla felt a sense of vertigo at seeing it on John's craggy features. Druitt disappeared again before Magnus or Ashley noticed him, he returned seconds later with two very confused companions. Will started to speak but froze when he saw Helen and her daughter.

"Oh." Will said instead and grinned.

Methos felt a sense of relief, so palpable he could nearly taste it, sweep over him. He let out a long breath he hadn't been aware of holding and joined Will in a relieved grin.

"Are you okay?" Magnus said finally breaking the embrace.

"I don't know, I feel fine but – " Ashley broke off as she saw her father, saw his relief and joy then her eyes ticked around to the rest of the group.

"Wow, you got the whole team out." Ashley said suddenly shy somehow.

"John." Methos said quietly, the big abnormal looked down at him.

"Take me back now."

John frowned a shadow flickering in his eyes.

"This is…private, I have a life I need to get back to." Methos said softly.

It was a moment of import, if John agreed and returned Methos then that would be the end of their nascent relationship, which Methos told himself, was fine. On the other hand –

"No." John said kindly and walked away from the immortal toward his daughter.

Methos frowned and slipped away as Will, the Big Guy and Henry – having rushed from his work area – all clamored around Ashley. John hugged her a brief and awkward moment for both of them though well meant. Methos watched distantly, pleased in an offhand way but impatient to be gone.

"You don't belong here." Tesla said quietly.

"No I don't." Methos agreed in a similar tone he glanced askance at the scientist.

"Going to kill me now?"

"I choose when." Methos said lightly.

Tesla nodded slowly.

"I suppose that's more fun for you?"

"Basically."

"For what it's worth I wouldn't have tried if I'd known –"

"What I am? Or who I am?"

Tesla frowned he hated to be cut off.

"Your particular threat level."

Methos smiled humorlessly while watching the reunion.

"Don't feel too bad Nikola, that's an error many have made."

"Yes well, I suppose the fop or the grad student or whatever mask you're currently wearing is an excellent disguise. Who would ever think that you, a mass murderer for the ages, an ancient immortal being, would ever wear such tawdry colors?"

"Evidently not you." Methos sniped mildly and turned to face Tesla.

"I will kill you Nikola but I choose when, remember that. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a plane to catch." He said and slipped past Tesla toward another exit leading to the front drive.

He slipped out and took a slow deep breath of the early evening air. He smelled the cooling damp stone of the sanctuary, grass, moist dirt, gun oil, some kind of fragrant herb he couldn't quite name - gun oil?

He slipped into a crouch and made his way to the front of the Sanctuary, there were a dozen armed figures prowling across the lawn. Had Ashley been bait? Was she complicit? He was hurrying to the door he'd left through as he wondered.

Bursting into the Sanctuary he sprinted toward the foyer where the denizens were still gathered.

"It's a trap!" He shouted. Ashley turned toward him eyes flooding with darkness, she raised a hand toward him and flicked her wrist. Methos instinctively moved to the side, whatever she threw at him embedded in his right shoulder rather than his throat as she'd intended. As the icy pain of it filled his arm a loud bang resounded from the front door and Druitt snatched Ashley's arm then teleported. The rest fled to the lower levels Will helping Methos.

"What is it?" Methos asked as they crammed into the elevator to the lower level. Will was examining the object in Methos' shoulder.

"It's some kind of serrated…oh man I think you've been injected with something." Will said sharply.

"Throwing dart laced with a toxin." The Big Guy said snuffling the air.

"We need to get you to the infirmary."

"No, we need to get the hell out of here or lock down Ashley and the goon squad." Methos gritted between clenched teeth. Whatever had been in the object felt like battery acid as it coursed through his system.

"He's right Magnus the infirmary is unsecured." Henry said grimly.

"I'll live, trust me." Methos hissed.

"Will I want you two to accompany Henry, he may need protection." Magnus said changing places with Will freeing him up.

"What about you two?"

"We'll distract the invaders long enough for you and Henry to lockdown the Sanctuary."

"Magnus I know you two are like bad ass and all but he's –" Will objected.

"Oh fine I'll go with you." Tesla sighed. Magnus grinned at him.

"Good chap." She said. The elevator opened on the floor above Henry's work area and the secured hub of the Sanctuary everyone but Tesla, Magnus, and Methos exited.

"Be careful, John is still loose." She said as the door closed.

"Was that a warning or a reminder?" Methos wheezed and tried to laugh.

"Both, Nikola help me lay him down." Magnus said. Tesla scowled but did as he was asked.

"S'poison." Methos winced as Magnus carefully ripped the fabric of his sweater and undershirt around the object.

"I'm going to get this out and see what kind of damage it's done." She said working her fingers around it and pulling hard. Red hot blood filled the wound as the object pulled free, it left a sucking wet cavity behind.

Magnus studied it, it looked like a ball bearing with serrated 'wings' along its surface. The ball itself was clear and hollow the faint dregs of a straw colored liquid still clung to its interior.

"Nikola?"

"I've never seen a design like it, it's fairly basic though."

"Get rid of it." Methos wheezed. Magnus examined his wound with a frown.

"This flesh is burned, some kind of chemical burn." She frowned.

Methos' eyes rolled in his pale sweating face.

"Uh Helen I don't think he's doing so well."

"Methos, listen to me, would it be better if I shot you or let you heal on your own?" Magnus asked loudly, uncertain if the immortal could hear her.

"Sh-Shoot!" He gasped.

Without hesitating she drew her sidearm and shot him in the forehead. He went limp and Tesla groaned.

"Now we'll have to carry him!" Tesla whined only to recoil as Methos gasped back to life.

Methos wiped at the blood on his forehead.

"Don't take chances?" He asked Magnus weakly.

"You were in pain." She groused and helped him sit up.

"Do we have an actual plan or are we going for 'run at them screaming loudly'?" Tesla asked hitting the emergency stop button.

"I'm a fan of plans." Methos said tiredly.

"He looks like hell Magnus."

Methos grinned cheerlessly at the scientist.

"I'll be fine I just need a few minutes." He insisted and struggled to his feet. Tesla looked dubious.

Ashley regarded her father with jet black eyes devoid of any white.

"You think you're a dangerous monster?" He asked quietly.

By way of answer she held her hands out at her side and flexed them, they twisted and elongated until each finger ended in a rounded knifelike claw. She cocked her head and went for him.

"I'm afraid we don't have a few minutes Methos, Ashley knows the Sanctuary by heart." Magnus said grimly.

"Right, well, we'll need a distraction." He said softly meeting Tesla's eyes. Tesla looked pleased and glanced at Magnus.

"Methos –"

The immortal took her hands in his."

"I'll live, I promise, just…get out, get to John and…your daughter." He said and hit the door open button. He glanced at Magnus, face still as stone but eyes liquid pain then stepped out. Tesla hit the up button immediately and caught Magnus' wrist as she darted for the emergency stop button.

"It's done Helen." Tesla said not unkindly. She glared at him then folded her arms and let out a slow ragged breath.

Methos moved quickly, he'd lied he didn't need a few minutes, he only had a few minutes. He could feel whatever toxin the ball had been filled with still working its way through his system, burning and killing him. He staggered, caught himself on a wall and coughed hard, felt moisture on his lips and wiped at it with the back of his hand, bright arterial blood on his pale skin.

"No time." He whispered shoved off the wall and started moving again, a drunken staggering weave.

He heard footsteps in the hall ahead of him. He wasn't entirely sure of his location in the massive building but was reasonably sure he was near the infirmary.

Ahead he spotted a man clad in skin tight black material of some kind he cocked his head at Methos and started doing a terminator style ground eating walk toward him. Methos would have laughed if he could have spared the breath but his lungs felt like they were in an iron vise.

The man didn't speak or hesitate simply moved in for the kill. Methos fought back, defended himself, managed to bloody the super abnormal's nose but that was as good as it got. After breaking the abnormal's nose Methos drew his fist back to protect his ribcage but moved a hair too slowly. Before he could react the man had broken his arm and had a grip on his throat.

"It doesn't end like this." Methos gritted through pink teeth while bloody spittle flecked the abnormal's face, turning red against the man's dark skin tone. The Superabnormal twisted his wrist snapping Methos' neck like a dry branch.

The immortal fell to the ground a limp sack of flesh and bones the superabnormal stared at him cocked his head and frowned. He lifted his head and stared down the hall to where another of his kind stood, a female, pale and dark haired. She nodded once and the male knelt and slung the corpse over his shoulder. He rose unfazed by the burden and joined his companion together they moved further into the Sanctuary.

John Druitt easily incapacitated his daughter, pinning her wrists together, back to his chest.

"I know what you're going through." He whispered in her ear. Expressionless she lashed out, he released he allowing her to break free. They grappled this time she got the upper hand and knocked him to the ground knelt on his solar plexus and raised one clawed hand, ready to drive it into his chest.

"I've been a monster most of my life Ashley, I've done terrible things been accused of worse, loved your mother and watched her grow to hate and fear me – with cause." He growled then scissored his legs up wrapping his ankles around her throat and dragged her off him.

Her shoulders hit the floor hard enough to draw a ragged gasp from her otherwise silent form. She did a handspring and landed on her feet one hand pressed to the floor for balance she stared up at her father with alien hostile eyes.

"You_ can_ fight it Ashley, I can teach you, others as well." He said thinking primarily of Methos. "You're not alone, your mother loves you, I love you. Fight it." He snarled.

She went for him again emitting a low hissing noise like an enraged cat.

Methos woke without his customary gasping spasm. He was being carried he realized his head lolling drunkenly at every step. He recognized the pattern of the carpet they were moving across, they hadn't left the Sanctuary.

He tried to look around without alerting his pack mule to his new wakeful state. The superabnormal wasn't fooled however as soon as Methos got a good look at their surroundings he was being swung off the man's shoulder to the ground.

"You are Methos." A woman said. Methos sat up and felt his head spin as though he'd been drinking Everclear for two days straight. He grimaced and struggled to focus on the woman addressing him. She was tall, lean like all the superabnormals pale with jet black hair bobbed at her shoulders.

"Meharhmgph." Methos said.

"No matter Ashley Magnus told us about you. Your ability is of interest to the Cabal. Helen Magnus is known to us, she lives long but does not recover from illness or injury any better than the next human based abnormal. You, however, are another story." The woman said robotically, Methos had the eerie impression that she was literally relaying someone else's words, as though she were a soulless puppet.

"What –" He croaked and licked dry lips.

"We propose an alliance Mr. Methos."

He laughed a whispering husking noise at the misuse of his name.

"Why…would I?" He gasped, it felt like hot knives had taken up residence in his throat.

"Because, in return we will assist you with the problem of the others of your kind." She said simply.

He felt vertigo sweep over him, a deal with the devil…but what a deal. In one fell swoop he could finally discover the secret of his species…and be safe. He closed his eyes felt a hard breath hitch in his chest, tears threaten then slowly let out the breath and forced the temptation away from his conscious mind.

"Go fuck yourself." He wheezed opening his eyes.

The male superabnormal kicked him in the face.

John held his daughter by the throat. Both their faces and hands were bloodied, a mixture of each other's blood and their own. His eyes blazed with rage and grief, hers remained reptilian and calculating.

"I know you're in there." He gasped chest heaving with effort. Her fists locked onto his wrists, legs pinned to the wall by Druitt's weight, he chest rose as she took a deep breath and lunged at him with her teeth.

A tear coursed down Druitt's bloody face.

"Please." He whispered.

Methos was in a moving vehicle when he came to, his limbs were bound to his body by plastic ties, he felt like a sausage. He looked around saw the woman who'd spoken to him and the male that had captured him. They were driving, it was a panel truck with no windows, a padlock secured the rear.

"Awake." The woman said and the male turned to Methos, rose from his seat and sat on the wheel well next to Methos. The immortal studied the abnormal for a long moment.

"Who did you used to be?" Methos asked. The man regarded him with dull eyes. They weren't fully black like Ashley's had been but he wasn't running on adrenaline and aggression either.

"Student? Professional? Soldier? Criminal?" Methos asked hoarsely. He didn't feel the burn of the toxin anymore but was still weak.

"Probably never know will we?" He asked rhetorically. The male regarded him blankly.

Magnus and Tesla made their way down to the garage and slipped out circling around to the front of the property. The front facing portion of the wall surrounding the property had been breached, cables ran from either side of the breach bridging and fooling Henry's security system. The gap wasn't large, only about five feet wide but it was more than large enough for the superabnormals to use.

"Thoughts?" Tesla asked.

"We can't leave Methos and Henry there."

"I doubt they're interested in your pet."

Magnus scowled at his superior tone and choice of words.

"He –"

"Shh." They watched as the male and female exited the Sanctuary with Methos.

"Come along Tesla." Magnus said with a smile and lead them in to the thick shrubs lining the outside of the wall. They hid until the attackers had bound Methos, loaded him into the truck and then climbed aboard and started to pull out then Magnus followed by Tesla grabbed the rear of the truck and balanced on the bumper.

"They're going to notice the weight difference!" Tesla said over the road noise.

"Not likely! They just loaded Methos! He's only forty or so pounds lighter than our combined weight!"

"How do you know that?" Tesla asked.

She grinned a Cheshire cat grin and hung on.

"I wonder if you're married, do you have kids?" Methos asked numbly still staring at the flat eyes of the male. The female hadn't reacted to Methos at all since the immortal had awakened.

As the vehicle slowed Methos found himself hoping they were at a destination and he could get out of the vehicle. His body was beginning to ache, limbs going numb from restricted circulation. He closed his eyes resigning himself to imprisonment for the near future.

"We won't have much time Nikola, listen to me, when the vehicle stops we have to steal it immediately, avoid confronting the superabnormals if at all possible if you do engage get away and to the vehicle as quickly as possible we need to get Methos out of here."

"Anything for you my dear." Tesla sighed dramatically.

Minutes later the vehicle downshifted and began to slow. Magnus and Tesla tensed, Tesla's eyes went black as he brought his vampire self to the forefront he grinned at Magnus with a mouthful of crooked needlelike teeth and waggled a clawed hand at her as the vehicle slowed further and stopped with the engine idling.

They were parked outside a plain concrete building with no signs out front to indicate its purpose. The female exited quickly and entered the building. Tesla slipped a claw through the gap at the rear of the truck and dragged it down smiling in satisfaction as it briefly snagged on the padlock then sliced through it. He snatched the door open while Magnus drew her sidearm.

The male superabnormal cocked his head at them for a moment then rose and charged Tesla. Tesla sidestepped the charge pausing to rake his claws down the man's back opened up his flesh like ripe fruit while Magnus emptied her clip into him. She paused to reload while Tesla closed the truck door using a length of the plastic the superabnormals had tied Methos with to secure them closed. Magnus jogged to the front of the truck and climbed aboard as the female superabnormal emerged from the building.

Magnus scrambled into the driver's seat and cursed as the ignition proved to hold nothing.

"Tesla!" She snapped. The wiry scientist slithered into the passenger's seat and popped the cover off the ignition with his claws then sent a pulse of electricity into the exposed wires, the truck engine coughed caught and roared to life.

"Well done." She said grimly and floor the accelerator sending the vehicle and it's passengers rocketing forward into traffic, they cut off a city bus and continued on their way.

"Fairly certain we left witnesses back there!" Tesla laughed as he slipped back to the rear and checked on Methos.

"He's alive!"

"Untie me." Methos said softly as Tesla checked his pulse.

"Ah it speaks." Tesla said snidely.

"Untie me." Methos insisted.

"So you can kill me? I don't think so."

"If I can't walk you'll have to carry me."

Tesla considered that.

"Think about it Tesla, we can't use the Sanctuary as a refuge anymore, they've proven they can simply walk in whenever they like."

Tesla sighed and leanved forward easily severing the plastic bindings. He grinned in pleasures as Methos doubled over then stretched slowly, face twisted in pain as blood and feeling returned to his frame.

"Your pet is up Helen." Tesla called.

"Play nice gentlemen." Magnus chided.

Methos slowly got to his feet and sat on a wheel well opposite Tesla. Once feeling returned completely to his hands and feet he moved to the front and took the passenger's seat. Tesla followed and crouched behind and between the seats.

"Back to the Sanctuary?" Tesla asked.

"For now yes." Magnus said stiffly.

"We can't stay there, even with Henry's improvements it may as well be wide open." Methos said tiredly.

"Unfortunately I'm aware of that." Magnus sighed and changed lanes.

John arrived, with his struggling daughter in his arms, in an open field. He released her and half flung have threw her from him. She landed easily and whirled to face him.

Exhaustion etched their faces, a pink wash of old blood, sweat, and in John's case, stale tears coated their faces.

"Ashley, you can stop, you can stay here and heal." He gasped between racking breaths. He was feeling his age.

She took one step toward him and he raised a hand in a halting gesture.

"Or, you can continue this and I will kill you." He said brokenly.

She cocked her head at him and then frowned and half opened her mouth.

"I don't hear them." She said in a broken whisper.

"No, you won't we're too far away."

The dark black began to clear from her eyes.

"Where are we?"

He didn't answer, concentrated on breathing while he could.

She studied him closely, blue eyes clear and bright.

"Tell Mom I'm sorry." She choked tears in her eyes.

"Ashley –"

"Please."

He nodded keeping his eyes on her, not really trusting the change in her.

"Do you know what they did?"

"I…" She blinked and her eyes were dull marbles in her head. She cocked her head and moved toward him.

Henry, Will, and the Big Guy met the trio as they pulled into the main drive of the Sanctuary.

"Oh thank god you're okay." Will panted as he jogged up to the car.

Magnus and the others slowly climbed out of the truck. Methos stumbled slightly and Will caught his forearm preventing him from falling. Methos let out a small noise and straightened. Will released the immortal's arm and glanced at Magnus. They'd both noticed the immortal's expression of pain.

Magnus shook her head slightly at Will indicating he should wait to pursue it. Will sighed and followed Methos closely as they all returned to the Sanctuary.

"Any sign of John?" Magnus asked.

"No, nothing from Ashley either." Henry said frustrated.

"Right, well, send a message to the Heads of House for the entire Sanctuary network. They need to know how our defenses were breached, forward all information about the superabnormals."

"All of it?" Henry asked carefully.

"Yes, all of it, Ashley must be considered an enemy agent until we can confirm otherwise."

Will wondered what it cost Helen Magnus to declare her only daughter an enemy. He glanced at Methos' tired hooded eyes and then at Biggie and Henry. The moment passed and the group entered the Sanctuary.

"Helen." Methos said softly. She was sitting at her desk, ostensibly drafting a report to be transmitted to the Heads of Houses as a follow up to Will's transmission. A cursor sat blinking accusingly on a blank screen.

She smiled warmly at Methos and moved to rise, he gestured for her to stay seated and slowly made his way across the room to her and sat heavily in a chair facing her desk.

"I have to leave." He said heavily.

Her eyes bore into his as he tried to avoid her gaze.

"The Cabal know about me, Ashley must have told them something. They probably knew enough of my kind to put the pieces together. I'm a danger and…" He licked his lips and forced his dark eyes to meet hers.

"And I can't do any good here." He said finally.

"I haven't heard anything from John –"

"This isn't about him."

"It's been less than a day."

"Honestly Magnus, he could be sitting next to me right now and I'd still insist on leaving."

"Why?"

"I just told you." He snapped.

"No, I think there's more I think you're afraid of the man you become around him."

Methos didn't quite flinch but his face flexed oddly and he swallowed hard.

"I'm going Magnus I just…wanted to say goodbye."

"If I need to contact you?" She asked stiffly, ignoring the sudden lump in her throat.

"I'll leave an email with Henry." Methos said rising.

"Methos…" Magnus said uncertain of how to finish.

"I wish you well Magnus, if I can help, _actually_ help then let me know." He said with a tired smile.

John didn't return to the Sanctuary, or Magnus, didn't send word of his continued existence. He didn't see the point really. If ever she had been able to love him again… he had destroyed any chance of it now. He had taken the life of their child, deliberately, knowingly. That, in the end, it was literally kill or be killed mattered not at all. John was used to accusations being leveled at him, some false, many true but he knew guilt and responsibility though he pretended otherwise. The worst monsters know the gravity of their transgressions, and John was a very terrible monster.

So he went wandering determined to find a way to …well, not forget maybe, but not care, yes a way to dismiss the guilt and grief that weighed him down. Underneath it all he knew that no amount of time, drug, drink, murder, sex or new and interesting bliss could ever scrub the blood from his hands or the memory of his deed.

They moved their wards from the Sanctuary to friendly allies and other Houses until Henry could repair and improve the existing security systems to accommodate the abilities of the superabnormals. A task the werewolf took on with nearly manic zeal. Biggie stayed with him as did Magnus. None were willing to fully evacuate their home, particularly since John, Ashley, and Methos were no longer resident and with the rest of their wards evacuated there was little the Cabal could gain by conducting another invasion.

Will spent most of his time searching for clues regarding the fates of John and Ashley and attempting to draw Methos out of hiding. The immortal had been rattled by the events surrounding his 'recruitment' to the Sanctuary and had gone to ground to lick his wounds.

Will was worried that the immortal wouldn't process his latest traumas effectively – recalling the man's difficulty keeping the memories and experiences of 'Ben' separate from the business at hand – and wished to help him. Genuinely and truly whether the sarcastic man wanted such help or not.

So it went, days turned to weeks and weeks inevitably into months until, as the ninth month since John and Ashley had vanished was about to become the tenth, Will found Druitt.


End file.
